In a groundbreaking move towards transparency, Netflix has released its inaugural engagement report, providing unprecedented insights into viewership data. The streaming giant, known for its discretion regarding audience metrics, has offered a detailed glimpse into the most-watched shows on its platform from January to June 2023.
According to Netflix, the top ten most-viewed shows or movies during this period include a diverse mix of global hits, teen dramas, and narratives fronted by female leads. The FBI thriller “The Night Agent,” the first two seasons of “Ginny & Georgia,” the Korean sensation “The Glory,” Jenna Ortega’s “Wednesday,” the “Bridgerton” spinoff “Queen Charlotte,” Penn Badgley’s “You” season four, the third season of the Spanish telenovela “La Reina del Sur,” and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “FUBAR” stand out as the cream of the streaming crop.
The list continues with popular titles like the fourth season of “Manifest,” the second season of “Firefly Lane,” Jennifer Lopez’s thrilling venture “The Mother,” Eddie Murphy’s “You People,” both seasons of the now-cancelled “Sex/Life,” and reality shows such as “Perfect Match” and the fourth season of “Love Is Blind.” Award season darlings “The Diplomat” and “Beef” also secured spots in the top 100.
In a departure from its historical data-sharing practices, Netflix has not only highlighted its most-watched content but also disclosed the least-watched shows and movies for the first time. This move signifies a notable shift in the streaming giant’s approach to audience engagement metrics.
Key trends from the report indicate that non-English language programming, such as Spain’s “The Snow Girl,” Germany’s “The Empress,” and Israel’s “Fauda,” accounted for 30% of viewers’ most-watched content. Original series and films dominated 55% of viewing time, while licensed content, including revived favorites like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Suits,” contributed to the remaining 45%, finding new audiences on the Netflix platform.
Netflix’s Surprise Hit: “Suits” Climbs to 67th Most-Viewed Program
The first season of “Suits,” a legal drama that originally spanned nine seasons on the USA Network, has secured the 67th spot among the most-viewed programs on Netflix through June of this year. This achievement comes before the show’s unexpected summer resurgence, underscoring Netflix’s ability to breathe new life into established favorites.
During a press call with reporters, including CNN, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos highlighted the success of “Suits” as a testament to the streaming platform’s unparalleled reach and recommendation system. Despite the show’s prior availability on USA Network, Peacock, and Amazon, Netflix managed to unlock a vast global audience for “Suits.”
“What’s interesting is a show like ‘Suits,’ which has been played on USA for a long time, has been available on Peacock and has been available on Amazon for a couple of years before it hit Netflix,” Sarandos explained. “And yet, we were able to unlock this enormous global audience for it, and that’s the combination of our large subscriber base and our recommendation system that knew to put ‘Suits’ in front of people who were going to love it the most.”