Netflix unveils the numbers: Big data breakthrough with viewing stats for 18,000 titles

The comprehensive list spans global viewership data for over 18,000 movies and TV series (precisely 18,214) from January to June. All these titles garnered a minimum of 50,000 hours of viewing within this six-month period, constituting approximately 99 percent of Netflix's total viewership.

 According to Lauren Smith, Vice President of Strategy and Analysis, this data presentation on Tuesday marks the most extensive disclosure of viewing insights ever made public by Netflix or any other streaming service.

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Top Picks Unveiled

Notable highlights from the data reveal that "The Night Agent" claimed the top spot as Netflix's most-watched title in the first half of 2023, amassing an impressive 812.1 million viewing hours. Following closely, the second position went to Season two of "Ginny & Georgia" with 665.1 million hours, trailed by the Korean drama "The Glory" at 622.8 million hours. Surprisingly, "Wednesday" secured the fourth spot with 507.7 million viewing hours, despite its release in November 2022.

Worth noting is Netflix's departure from the traditional "view" formula for this report. Instead, the company opted to gauge user engagement through total hours viewed, offering a different perspective than the formula used for its weekly top 10 lists (total viewing hours divided by running time).

Netflix's Viewing Landscape

While original series and movies take the lead at the pinnacle of the chart, Smith highlighted that the distribution between original and licensed titles is more balanced than it appears. Approximately 55 percent of viewership is attributed to originals, while licensed shows and films contribute to the remaining 45 percent. 

Notably, "Suits," a show that previously dominated the Nielsen U.S. streaming charts, amassed an impressive 599 million hours of global viewing across all nine seasons on Netflix. The show's first season secured the highest rank, claiming the 67th spot with 129.1 million viewing hours.

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On the flip side, just over 20 percent of the titles featured on Netflix's extensive list (3,813 in total) garnered minimal viewership. The company categorized them with a rounded figure of 100,000 hours, falling within the range of 50,000 to 149,999 hours. While these titles make up a fraction of the streamer's colossal 100 billion total hours of viewing over the six months, they represent a minor contribution to the overall streaming landscape.

Netflix intends to maintain its practice of releasing semiannual reports on viewing time. However, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos expressed uncertainty about whether other streaming services would adopt a similar approach, acknowledging that Netflix, as the oldest and largest platform, holds a unique position. He noted, "They're all running their businesses as they see fit, and they're all at different places in their existence. We thought very differently about it 10 years ago, too."