Netflix, in a landmark move, has unveiled its first What We Watched engagement report, offering an in-depth look at its viewership data for the first half of 2023.
This report, a first of its kind from the streaming giant, encompasses an extensive range of titles – a total of 18,000, accounting for nearly 100 billion hours of watch time.
The report’s findings highlight the dominance of television series over films on the platform. Leading the pack is The Night Agent, which topped the list with an impressive 812.10 million hours viewed. Other series in the top 10 include Wednesday, Ginny & Georgia, and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, underlining the preference of Netflix viewers for serialized storytelling.
In terms of Australian content, the biopic True Spirit emerged as the most-watched Australian title globally, ranking 242nd with 56.70 million hours viewed. Despite this, the most-watched Australian show in the first half of the year was Celeste Barber’s Wellmania, which racked up 41.3 million hours of viewing. This was notable as the show was axed after just one season due to low viewership.
The most popular movie on Netflix during this period was The Mother, starring Jennifer Lopez, which came in 14th with 249.90 million hours viewed. The film adaptation of the hit television show, Luther: The Fallen Sun, followed as the second most-watched film with 209.70 million hours.
The decision to release such detailed viewership data marks a significant shift for Netflix, especially in light of the recent U.S. writer and actor strikes that brought attention to the need for more transparency in the streaming sector.
Part of Netflix‘s remuneration structure involves bonuses for workers and talent when titles reach certain benchmarks on the platform, making the availability of such data crucial.
Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, explained the shift in the company’s approach during a media call.
“In the earliest days, it … wasn’t really in our interest to be that transparent, because we were building a new business,”
Sarandos stated. He acknowledged that the lack of transparency in the past had led to an atmosphere of mistrust among producers, creators, and the press regarding Netflix‘s operations and success metrics. This new report is part of an ongoing effort to increase openness and trust with their partners and the public.
However, Netflix has made it clear that it will not release country or regional breakdowns of this data. The company cites competitive reasons for this decision, aiming to balance the need for transparency with the need to maintain a strategic edge in the highly competitive streaming market.
The What We Watched report is set to be a bi-annual feature, with Netflix planning to release similar data every six months. This move is seen as a significant step towards greater transparency in an industry that has traditionally been secretive about viewership figures.
Netflix‘s release of the What We Watched report marks a pivotal moment in the streaming industry. It not only sheds light on what viewers are watching but also signals a shift towards greater openness and accountability in the sector. This could have far-reaching implications for how streaming services operate and interact with creators, talent, and the viewing public in the future.
