For a company that lives and dies by algorithms, Netflix has never been big on data sharing. But given the company’s growing status as a major entertainment player, what with Hollywood heavyweights like Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro in its corner, it seems they’re ready to start shouting their numbers from the rooftops.
On Monday, The Verge reported that the streaming giant shared the viewership numbers of its biggest TV and movie hits—and they’re pretty damn impressive. On the television side, Lady Whistledown hears that the anachronistically steamy Bridgerton brought in 82 million viewers to take the top spot, while Sam Hargrave’s surprisingly good actioner Extraction, featuring Chris Hemsworth, got the attention of 99 million viewers. (No word on how much crossover there was between the two audiences.)
“We’re trying to be more transparent with the market and talent and everybody,” Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos said. “It’s a big black box for everybody.”
It’s certainly an enlightening pile of data, particularly to anyone (cough, this writer, cough) who has ever wondered: Did anyone actually watch Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler in Murder Mystery? And was it really a big enough number to warrant a sequel? (The answer, amazingly, is yes and definitely yes!)
Here’s how the both lists broke down by the numbers…
Most Watched Netflix Movies
- Extraction: 99 million
- Bird Box: 89 million
- Spenser Confidential: 85 million
- 6 Underground: 83 million
- Murder Mystery: 83 million
- The Old Guard: 78 million
- Enola Holmes: 77 million
- Project Power: 75 million
- Army of the Dead: 75 million
- Fatherhood: 74 million
Most Watched TV Series
- Bridgerton: 82 million
- Lupin: Part I: 76 million
- The Witcher: 76 million
- Sex/Life: 67 million
- Stranger Things 3: 67 million
- Money Heist: Part 4: 65 million
- Tiger King: 64 million
- The Queen’s Gambit: 62 million
- Sweet Tooth: 60 million
- Emily in Paris: 58 million
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the best is yet to come: Sarandos claimed that Squid Game, Netflix’s new Korean game show, is shaping up to be the company’s biggest-ever hit.
(Via The Verge)
