Netflix has recently made a commitment to provide more transparency when it comes to data for creators.
A significant departure from their previous approach of keeping such information under wraps. During their earnings call on October 18, Netflix’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, explained the reasoning behind this shift.
“Part of our reason for not publishing (viewership data) early was part of our promise with creators,” Sarandos said during its October 18 earnings call. “At the time we started creating original programs, our creators felt like they were pretty trapped in this kind of overnight ratings world and weekend box-office world defining their success and failures. And as we all know, a show might have enormous success down the road and it wasn’t captured in that opening box office.”
Netflix began posting its own weekly Top 10 lists, including Hours Viewed for top series and films, in the early summer of 2021. This approach eventually shifted its focus to Views, calculated by dividing Hours Viewed by the content’s runtime, approximately two years later.
According to Indie Wire, these insights from Sarandos were shared during Netflix’s third-quarter earnings interview, where the company reported strong financial performance. This was notable given that the same creatives who benefited from Netflix’s protection against data disclosure had been seeking such information and had even engaged in picketing during the summer quarter. Additionally, Netflix unveiled details of a price hike, and while the writers’ strike had ended weeks ago, the actors’ strike continues without a clear resolution in sight.
Sarandos expressed a desire to resolve the actors’ strike and get back to work, emphasizing that it’s a priority for Netflix and all members of the AMPTP, underscoring the importance of these negotiations amidst their other activities.
