Netflix is usually unwilling to share viewership data with anyone, but recently, it did some number crunching to figure out the binge-watching habits of its subscribers. The streaming firm found that certain genres are binged on more quickly than others.
“Binge scale” based on viewing habits
On Wednesday, Netflix said it found that episodes of high-energy narratives like Sense8 or BBC America’s Orphan Black have more chances to be watched in quick succession. It made an interesting revelation that its first original series, House of Cards, stood a higher chance of being indulged on at an unhurried pace.
Netflix used the results to create a binge scale, which it uses to rank shows along a continuum between the likelihood to be “savored” versus “devoured.” The shows that get “devoured” are quick to elicit an emotional response or garner a reaction, said the streaming giant.
Netflix subscribers took just four days to finish a season of these shows, and on average, they spent about two-and-a-half hours per day watching them. The most rapidly binged-on shows were the BBC’s The Fall, horror shows like its own Hemlock Grove and science fiction like its Sense8, the streaming firm said.
Netflix’s House of Cards – a “savor”
Netflix said the most “thought-provoking” and “open to interpretation” shows were the ones that were closer to the “savor” end of the spectrum. Subscribers took around six days to finish a season of a “savored” show, averaging about an hour and 45 minutes of content per day.
At the end of this spectrum were irrelevant comedies like BoJack Horseman, historical dramas like Narcos and political dramas like House of Cards. Netflix’s finding suggest that the “bingeability” factor of two shows within the same broad genre could vary. Netflix’s, vice president of original content, Cindy Holland, said the binge scale indicates that the viewing experience of a series could range from the emotional to the thought-provoking.
“Netflix helps you to find a series to binge no matter your mood or occasion, and the freedom to watch that series at your own pace — whether that’s to appreciate the drama of ‘Bloodline’ or power through ‘Orange Is the New Black.’”
Deloitte reported that in the past, when self-identified binge-watchers watched three or more episodes of a show in one sitting, 53% of them watched the drama genre most frequently. Netflix looked at the viewing data of more than 100 shows in more than 190 countries, but it noted that not all its shows are available in every region.
