Netflix has released its first ever “What We Watched” report, disclosing viewership statistics for nearly all of its shows and movies for the past six months. This transparency move aims to provide insights into the popularity of its content, a departure from the platform’s prior secrecy regarding viewership. Critics and viewers alike have wanted to have these figures for their own analysis to np avail but with a release of this even in Excel, you can make of the data whatever you wish. We did some Excel analysis and the numbers for some of our “favourite” shows are quite what we didn’t expect. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Fubar didn’t enjoy quite the popularity with regards to ratings online but performed surprisingly ok with over 260 million hours of view time.
The streaming giant plans to release updated reports every six months, marking a significant shift from its longstanding reputation for guarded viewership data. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, acknowledged the lack of transparency’s impact on the creator community during a conference call with reporters. He attributed Netflix’s prior data privacy strategy to the need for experimentation without disclosing sensitive information to competitors.
Sarandos emphasized the importance of sharing accurate data, noting its instrumental role in driving Netflix’s business decisions. With a global subscriber base of nearly 250 million, Netflix aims to foster greater transparency for various stakeholders, including Hollywood actors, writers, and brands seeking audience insights for advertising purposes.
Among the disclosed details, “The Night Agent,” a Netflix original action thriller, emerged as the most-viewed show, accumulating 812 million viewing hours. Meanwhile, “The Mother,” starring Jennifer Lopez, topped the list among Netflix’s movies. Notably, original films and series accounted for 55% of Netflix’s viewership, with licensed titles contributing 45%.
The report covered over 18,000 titles, representing 99% of Netflix’s total viewing and encompassing titles that garnered more than 50,000 hours of watch time. For context, specific shows like “Wednesday,” “La Reina del Sur,” and “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” were identified as key favourites among particular audience segments, signalling diverse viewership interests and demographics.
Netflix’s step towards transparency is poised to provide valuable insights into audience preferences and content consumption patterns, benefiting creators, industry stakeholders, and viewers alike. This move aims to create a more informed and collaborative environment while addressing the growing demand for visibility in the entertainment landscape.
Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.
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