After years of resistance to the idea, Netflix has finally begun sharing viewership data for nearly all its movie and television content.
Netflix published a new report this week called “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report,” which details exactly what content people around the world watched on the streaming platform during the first six months of 2023.
The comprehensive report covers more than 18,000 titles and represents 99% of all viewing on the streaming platform, or about 100 billion combined hours, according to a news release from the company.
Some of the metrics included in the report include hours viewed for every title, both original and licensed; the premiere dates of Netflix TV series or films; and whether a title was available globally.
Netflix has famously been reluctant to publicize its viewership data. However, the company in 2021 submitted to the pressure and began releasing weekly “Top 10” and “Most Popular” lists. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged that the company’s practice of keeping its cards close to the chest had generated an “atmosphere of distrust” among creators and producers, a factor that influenced the decision to publish the information.
“Over time, we have been getting increasingly more and more transparent about what people are watching,” said Sarandos, per Fox 4 KDFW.
While transparency has its perks, Sarandos says it also has its downside with respect to running a publicly traded company.
“I’m the co-CEO of a public company, so sharing bad information has consequences,” he said, per Fox 4.
Netflix says its bi-annual report is not only a big step forward for the company but also for the industry.
“We believe the viewing information in this report — combined with our weekly Top 10 and Most Popular lists — will give creators and our industry deeper insights into our audiences and what resonates with them,” Netflix said in the news release.
To download the full Netflix report, click here.
