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Netflix Reveals Comprehensive Viewing Data for the First Time

Wednesday 13 December 2023 - 10:55 Journalists: Dakir Madiha

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In an unprecedented move, Netflix has unveiled detailed viewing statistics for thousands of titles on its platform, providing the public with an inside look into its most-watched shows and biggest flops.

On Tuesday, Netflix released an exhaustive report titled "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report," representing a seismic shift for the notoriously secretive company. The streaming giant has committed to updating these figures every six months.

In a statement, Netflix expressed the significance of this move, stating, "This is a substantial step forward for Netflix and our industry. We believe the viewing information in this report will offer creators and our industry deeper insights into our audiences and what resonates with them."

The comprehensive spreadsheet includes data on all titles that accumulated over 50,000 viewing hours between January and June 2023, encompassing 18,000 movies and shows—equivalent to 99% of the content watched on Netflix globally.

Leading the list was season one of "The Night Agent," a US thriller that debuted in March and garnered over 812 million hours viewed worldwide. Additional hits featured "Wednesday," "You," and the "Bridgerton" offshoot "Queen Charlotte."

Noteworthy is the revelation that 30% of watch time was dedicated to non-English language content, particularly Korean and Spanish titles.

Netflix, previously criticized for its lack of transparency compared to traditional networks, faced heightened scrutiny amid Hollywood unions' strikes this year, demanding better compensation tied to viewership.

Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, addressing these concerns, denied that the data release was a response to the strikes. He clarified that Netflix had historically refrained from sharing valuable data to avoid aiding competitors, but this approach had inadvertently fostered "an atmosphere of mistrust over time." The move aligns with Netflix's gradual shift toward openness as streaming becomes mainstream.

"This might be more information than you need," Sarandos acknowledged. "But I believe it creates a better environment for the guilds, for us, for the producers, for creators, and for the press."