Netflix Reveals Viewing Data For First Time In Shocking Report
Netflix just released the viewing data for its entire catalog in an effort to take a step toward data transparency, according to Deadline. The streaming giant, which boasts over 18,000 titles in its worldwide catalog, is the first company to report viewer data at this scale.
By providing this kind of insight into their viewership, Netflix hopes that this level of data transparency will allow creators to know what kind of programming is trending. This should, in turn, help guide future content initiatives based on the raw numbers.
Netflix Data On All Titles
The Netflix viewing data report will include any title on the platform that has been watched for at least 50,000 hours over six months. The report will be released on a semi-annual schedule.
It could potentially become a critical metric that SAG-AFTRA members could refer to when seeking out performance bonuses or renegotiating their contracts on the streaming front.
Studios will also find this information incredibly useful because they’ll know exactly what titles are getting the most attention from a worldwide audience.
Current Ranking System
Though the Netflix viewing data is broader in scope than their Top 10 list that we’re all familiar with, Netflix VP of strategy and Analysis, Lauren Smith, points out that the granular data being presented is in line with their current ranking system.
In other words, the Netflix Top 10 list probably won’t change at all, but the overall viewing data will explain how the rankings are calculated to viewers, shareholders, studios, and acting talent.
Not A Perfect System
Though this is a huge step forward in the streaming sector, it’s not yet a perfect system. Netflix’s viewing data is calculated by hours watched, which does skew the data when you consider worldwide viewing habits.
A long-running series with dozens of episodes will likely rack up a disproportionate amount of hours because people will watch a series from start to finish.
Conversely, popular movie titles probably won’t be watched repeatedly, meaning that the same amount of hours won’t be tallied over time.
Step In Right Direction
It’s also worth noting that Netflix’s methodology to gather viewing data doesn’t currently calculate whether a viewer finished a title, or turned it off without completing it.
But despite these hurdles, Netflix is taking a step in the right direction by putting out a reasonable metric for gauging the success of their various intellectual properties. Though it’s not a perfect system, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
Changing The Game
Netflix has been changing the game ever since the platform put streaming on the map in 2007, and hopefully revealing their viewing data will be a trend that other streaming platforms will implement in the near future.
One common complaint that subscribers across all streaming platforms have voiced is the fact that titles get removed with little to no explanation.
Unprecendented Transparency
With mass content purges becoming a regular occurrence in streaming, Netflix now has publicly available viewing data that they can use to justify any decisions to end a popular series or remove a title from their platform.
This level of transparency in streaming viewership is unprecedented and will hopefully become the new normal if proven effective in the short term.
