What do Netflix’s viewing figures tell us about people’s interests?

Netflix recently revealed its first comprehensive set of viewing figures, unveiling hits like The Night Agent, Wednesday, and Queen Charlotte as some of the most-watched shows on the streaming platform.

The move marks a departure from Netflix’s traditionally secretive approach, providing the TV industry with insights into subscriber preferences. However, the report raises some key unanswered questions.

Netflix ranks viewing data by the total number of hours watched, with The Night Agent topping the list at 812 million hours viewed. While a reasonable metric, it favors specific shows and comes with caveats.

The reported figures only cover January to June 2023, explaining the absence of popular series like The Crown and Stranger Things, which did not release new episodes during this period. Instead, newer releases within the six-month timeframe made the top 20.

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Netflix’s top 10 for Jan to June 2023 includes:

1. The Night Agent season one – 812 million hours viewed
2. Ginny & Georgia season two – 665m
3. The Glory season one – 622m
4. Wednesday season one – 507m
5. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story – 503m
6. You season four – 440m
7. La Reina del Sur season three – 429m
8. Outer Banks season three – 402m
9. Ginny & Georgia season one – 302m
10. Fubar season one – 266m

Notably, popular shows like The Crown and Stranger Things are divided by season, impacting their rankings. For example, The Crown’s most-viewed season (season five) ranks lower individually than the cumulative total of all seasons.

Additionally, the report focuses on total hours viewed, favoring shows with numerous episodes over individual films. The highest-ranking film, The Mother, reaches 14th place with nearly 250 million hours but faces a disadvantage due to its two-hour runtime compared to multi-episode series.

The decision to list viewing by hours raises complications, as it doesn’t reveal how many individuals watched a show. This disparity in film and TV durations makes estimating actual audience size challenging, as factors like completion rates and re-watching come into play.

While the figures provide insights into audience engagement, a more detailed breakdown, including completion rates, is needed for a comprehensive understanding of viewership patterns.