Here are the top viewed Netflix series and films this year

Have you ever wondered how many accounts are enjoying Netflix’s exclusive top content? 

Well, Netflix co-founder and chief content officer Ted Sarandos shared the large data set on some of top viewed Netflix series and films during this year’s Code conference. 

Based on the number of accounts that watched at least two minutes of the title during the first 28 days it was on Netflix, the first season of Bridgerton ranked number one on the list with 82 million accounts, followed by season one of Lupin and The Witcher, with 76 million accounts having watched each. 

For the films list, extraction took the prize with 99 million accounts, followed by Bird Box with 89 million accounts and Spenser Confidential with 85 million. 

Sarandos also shared a list of Netflix’s top 10 films and series based on their total viewed hours during their first 28 days on the service. Bridgerton still came at winning with a whopping 625 million hours viewed. The fourth season of Money Heist brought in 619 million hours, followed by the third season of Stranger Things with 582 million hours. Bird Box, on the other hand, also saw huge popularity among Netflix subscribes, ranking in 282 million hours viewed.  

“We’re trying to be more transparent with the market and talent and everybody,” Sarandos said. “It’s a big black box for everybody.” 

This is a rare move for Netflix, as the streaming giant has been secretive about its internal information and data. However, the decision to share the jaw dropping figures showcases that there are multiple ways to define a success in the streaming industry. 

“Netflix’s data was tracked by total hours of viewing and the length of time viewers spent watching a title during its first month on the service. Talent and production companies, however, might be more interested in the number of times a title was viewed start to finish, or how many total people, not just accounts, are watching their shows,” The Verge explained. 

However, without a universal metric to decide what success looks like, streaming giants will continue to play by their own rules, which may not be a bad thing.  

While Netflix’s standards to success are different than other similar platforms, the streaming giant remains the service of choice for many households due to how it prioritizes subscribers’ needs, and that’s one thing platforms can learn from.