Netflix’s extensive list of originals includes modern classics like Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, The Witcher, and Squid Game, a quartet that’s made the one-time rental service into one of the most influential companies in media.
Engagement Report
The Variety website claims that Netflix spent $16.7bn on content in 2022, a 4.6% reduction on the figure for the previous year – $17.5bn.
That slight change in spending came after Netflix dropped 35% of its stock value in early 2022. Given the circumstances, the company’s 2020 gains (of around 16m subscribers) were bound to be temporary.
Still, despite revealing those figures, Netflix doesn’t immediately declare what’s going on behind the scenes – so the recent release of its Engagement Report, i.e. a list of what we’ve all been watching, caused quite a stir online.
Interactive Features
One hundred billion hours of content were streamed on Netflix during the first half of 2023. This number, while enormous, isn’t all that unexpected. The company reportedly has 247.2m subscribers, which makes light work of its catalog.
The popularity of streaming is growing rapidly too, as both the TV and game industries move towards a melding of on-the-go content and greater interactivity.
Netflix’s pivot into gaming has resulted in the streaming giant acquiring big-name properties like Grand Theft Auto, Oxenfree (and the made-for-Netflix Oxenfree 2), and the kaiju puzzle game Into the Breach.
Gaming has taken on more ‘live’ features than pre-arranged media. Casino companies provide their visitors with access to real human dealers in their live gaming section so that players can see every card dealt in real-time. Some offer live-streamed content through a casino NJ app, which can be found alongside Netflix on Apple and Google’s app stores. Of course, it also comes with all the standard casino experiences, like slots.
Live-streamed games haven’t enjoyed the same level of success on consoles or PCs, as evidenced by Google’s Stadia platform which hasn’t captured public engagement yet.
“Big Step Forward”
Netflix’s Engagement Report contains viewership data for 18,000 entries, beginning with the most watched show of all, The Night Agent (812m hours watched). This is followed by Ginny & Georgia (665m hours), The Glory (622m), and Wednesday (507m).
In its analysis, The Guardian newspaper suggests that most shows near the top are aimed at women, which could hint at an uneven demographic split in Netflix’s audience – or just a simple coincidence.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the Netflix shows mentioned earlier, like Squid Game, barely trend at all. Stranger Things is in 67th position, with 133 million hours watched, while Squid Game, The Witcher, and The Umbrella Academy languish in 126th, 171st, and 616th positions, respectively. As almost nothing has been happening with these franchises recently, that’s probably fair enough.
It’s not known why Netflix chose 2023 to finally give viewers an insight into the inner workings of the company – but, to quote the Engagement Report itself, it represents a “big step forward” for Netflix and the wider streaming industry.
