Understanding Netflix's Viewing Figures: Insights into Viewership Patterns

Netflix recently released its first comprehensive set of viewing figures, providing insight into which shows are most popular among subscribers. Previously criticized for being secretive about viewership data, Netflix's move to share this information aims to provide creators and the industry with deeper insights into audiences' preferences. However, the report leaves some crucial questions unanswered. The viewing data is ranked based on the total number of hours viewed, with the FBI thriller "The Night Agent" coming out on top at 812 million hours. While this metric is reasonable, it favors certain shows and comes with some considerations. It's important to note that the reported numbers only cover the period from January to June 2023, explaining why popular shows like "The Crown" and "Stranger Things" are not in the top 50 as they did not release new episodes during that time. Instead, shows released within those six months, such as "You," "Ginny & Georgia," "Beef," and "Love Is Blind," made it into the top 20. Netflix further divides popular shows by seasons, impacting their overall ranking. For instance, while "The Crown" season five was watched for 76 million hours, including the first four seasons would have significantly increased its placement on the list to 214 million hours. Similarly, "Stranger Things'" cumulative viewing hours of 347 million would have ranked it higher than 61st place if the total hours for all its seasons were considered. Some shows that performed well, like the Spanish-language "La Reina del Sur" and South Korea's "The Glory," gained a significant amount of viewing hours internationally. Examining the total hours for TV shows also reveals an issue with the numbers. "The Night Agent" had a reported 812 million hours viewed, averaging 81.2 million hours per episode. However, considering the average episode length of 49 minutes, rough calculations indicate that the average number of households that watched is closer to 99 million. As a result of the focus on TV series, films face a disadvantage in the rankings. Shows with multiple episodes possess a clear advantage over individual films. The highest-ranking film, "The Mother," reached 14th place with nearly 250 million hours viewed, which is impressive but pales in comparison to the lengthy duration of series like "The Night Agent." Netflix's decision to rank viewing by hours becomes more complicated due to the varying durations of films and TV shows. Additionally, the data does not reveal how many people watched a particular show, making it challenging to estimate an accurate audience size. For example, the second-highest ranking film, "Luther: The Fallen Sun," was watched for over 209 million hours. Assuming its runtime of a little over two hours, a rough estimate suggests around 100 million households watched. However, variables like incomplete viewing or multiple viewings make it impossible to reliably determine the actual audience, unlike traditional TV programs. While these figures provide fascinating insights into viewer preferences, they only offer a partial picture without further breakdowns such as audience completion rates.