Netflix is now disclosing viewership statistics for nearly all of its shows and movies.
On Tuesday, Netflix published its inaugural “What We Watched” report, which ranks nearly all of its shows and movies based on the number of hours viewed over the past six months. The company plans to issue updated reports every six months.
Netflix has been criticized for its lack of transparency regarding the popularity of its content, which has led to some skepticism among creators.
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos addressed this issue during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, acknowledging that Netflix’s historical secrecy about viewership data stemmed from a desire to protect its business strategy and avoid giving competitors an advantage.
“This is the actual data that we use to run the business,” Sarandos stated. “As the co-CEO of a public company, sharing inaccurate information has consequences.”
With nearly 250 million global subscribers, Netflix surpasses all other streaming services, which has given Sarandos the confidence to be more open about viewership statistics.
The push for greater transparency was also highlighted by Hollywood actors and writers during their strikes earlier this year, as they advocated for compensation that reflects audience engagement with their content.
Additionally, Netflix’s new advertising tier has increased the demand for transparency, as advertisers seek detailed viewing metrics.
“This is probably more information than you need, but I think it fosters a better environment for the guilds, for us, for the producers, for creators, and for the press,” Sarandos remarked.
According to the report, the first season of “The Night Agent,” a Netflix original action thriller, was the most-viewed show over the past six months, amassing 812 million viewing hours.
The film “The Mother,” featuring Jennifer Lopez, was the top movie on the streaming service. Between January and June, 55% of Netflix’s viewership was attributed to original films and series, while 45% came from licensed titles, Sarandos noted.
Netflix disclosed viewing data for over 18,000 titles, representing 99% of its total viewership and all titles that were watched for more than 50,000 hours.
