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Netflix Says It Has 10 Percent of All TV Time In the US (cnbc.com)

In its fourth-quarter 2018 earnings report, Netflix disclosed some of its viewership numbers for hits such as "Bird Box." "Overall, Netflix said it serves about 100 million hours of video per day, earning an estimated 10 percent of all time spent in front of the TV in the U.S.," reports CNBC. The company also said "Bird Box" reached 80 million member households in its first four weeks on the streaming service. Unfortunately, it still didn't show exactly how many people have viewed the content. From the report: By way of comparison, during the week of Jan. 7, the top TV show was an NFL playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Jan. 13, which drew 33 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The top scripted show, "The Big Bang Theory," drew over 13 million. But Netflix does not view TV as its only competition. In its earnings note, it also said games such as Fortnite compete for attention. Fortnite reportedly draws 200 million players per week.

The company also highlighted several of its international projects. Netflix said its original from Spain, "Elite," was watched by over 20 million member households worldwide in the first four weeks. "Bodyguard," co-produced with BBC One; "Baby," an original series from Italy, and "Protector," an original series from Turkey, all reached more than 10 million member households in their first four weeks, the company said. There was still one notable hit that Netflix didn't disclose numbers for: "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch." Instead, the company discussed in its earnings letter that the technology used to create the movie, its first interactive choose-your-own-adventure-style flick, will be used for interactive projects in the future.

52 comments

  1. And 110% of the choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For 13 bucks. Cable companies charging 7 times that can't match their product valuation.

    1. Re:And 110% of the choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Maybe were you live (in the US, I presume). I live in Portugal and the content is absolutely abysmal. There is not a single movie worth watching that I haven't seen yet and Netflix keeps promoting the same 12 items in each category to me. It feels like they are making fun of me. Their recommendation system is also completely incapable of determining my interests, just like Youtube, but in case of Netflix Portugal that doesn't matter because there are no choices anyway.

    2. Re: And 110% of the choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Netflix has a shitty catalogue outside the US and non Netflix original content is disappearing rapidly

    3. Re:And 110% of the choice by JackieBrown · · Score: 1

      Of course the post is about the US. The article is about usage in the US

    4. Re: And 110% of the choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Volume isn't quality. There isn't anything un-licensed worth watching on Netflix in the States, either, IMO. 'TV time' isn't the same thing as engagement, either. This is the same old 'eyeballs' trope from the 90s, it means diddly.

    5. Re:And 110% of the choice by jellomizer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I put more blame on the Cable TV Stations, then on the Cable Company themselves (with the exception for the ones that own stations)

      Back in the early-mid 1990's Cable TV had stations that were actually more focused, and less general trying to meet the general market.

      The Discovery Channel was full of documentaries, covering a wide range of topics. Not reality TV about fishermen.
      The History Channel covered historical events (at the time I thought it was a bit heavy on WWII) but that is better then fake history and covering possibility of aliens.
      Cartoon Network showed a bunch of classic cartoons (in the early 2000's they had a good set of their own work too)

      While the exact show you wanted to watch may not be on, there was probably something interesting to see at the moment. Now it seems each channel had found the few shows that it makes the makes the most money on and shows them over and over again. Which is a shame, because every once in a while they make some good content, which no one really sees, because they stop looking at that channel to see what is on.

      Cable channels seems to be fighting Netflix with Bing watching, by making their shows in binges as well. Which just really isn't a good use of the medium. Cable TV is better for exploring new things, and Netflix is to get you Nostalgia fix.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    6. Re:And 110% of the choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not all cable. Comcast/Xfinity also offers Netflix as part of an X1-based subscription package. Now granted, one has to have a Netflix app subscription, but it's as simple as pressing the Xfinity button on the X1 remote, selecting Netflix, and go from there. I don't have a subscription to Netflix, but "quit cable" and go Netflix only isn't an option, nor is "quit cable" and go with Prime Video only, also offered over X1. (Even when there is nothing to watch, there's Music Choice that is actually more of a selection than running a free music app and having it choose the same few randomized songs among 60 or so bands selected as favorites... I can still choose the overall genre of Music Choice station to listen to.)

    7. Re:And 110% of the choice by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      The Discovery Channel was full of documentaries, covering a wide range of topics. Not reality TV about fishermen.

      The History Channel covered historical events (at the time I thought it was a bit heavy on WWII) but that is better then fake history and covering possibility of aliens.

      Cartoon Network showed a bunch of classic cartoons (in the early 2000's they had a good set of their own work too)

      That's the problem, almost ALL of them have turned into "reality" tv.

      The Food Channel used to have people on cooking, now...just stupid reality contests.

      The Cooking Channel took over from FoodTV when they went reality and used to show cooking, but now, they're just as bad as the Food Channel.

      MTV used to play music videos....reality shows now.

      VH1 took over playing music when MTV quit...but then VH1 quit too.

      DIY network, used to actually have shows about DIY projects and interesting things...now? Flip this house marathons.

      Hell, at this point, I guessing it is only a matter of time before the Weather Channel stops showing weather, and just becomes the home of sharknado marathons or survival of the storm contests.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    8. Re:And 110% of the choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


        I live in Portugal and the content is absolutely abysmal. There is not a single movie worth watching that I haven't seen yet and Netflix keeps promoting the same 12 items in each category to me. It feels like they are making fun of me. Their recommendation system is also completely incapable of determining my interests,

      That's also true in the US. Netflix streaming started out great in 2010-2012. Then as everyone else switched to Netflix, they added garbage after garbage. Now we have the situation you're describing.

      I did finally get fed up with it when I realized I essentially never found anything good on Netflix. I cancelled the subscription after almost 9 years of service.

    9. Re:And 110% of the choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I live in Portugal and the content is absolutely abysmal. There is not a single movie worth watching that I haven't seen yet and Netflix keeps promoting the same 12 items in each category to me. It feels like they are making fun of me. Their recommendation system is also completely incapable of determining my interests

      Are you actively curating your lists, or just hoping it figures it out on its own?

      I spend a little time every week down-voting the shit I know I will never watch -- Romantic Comedies and kids movies and Hindi language movies for instance. The title then goes grey, and eventually disappears from my view. As a result, new things bubble up ... some of which you go "meh", and downvote, others you pretty much go "oh hell yeah" and add to your list or watch right away. I've literally had things percolate up into my listings that I just sorta go "damn I need to watch this right now".

      Over time as I make the cruft go away and watch stuff I like, the suggestions get better ... at some point I started getting sections like "Cantonese Language Action films" (cheesy old Kung-Fu movies) and at one point I basically had an entire section of "Japanese Anime with Fighting Robots" or something like that.

      The only mechanism you have to say "no, I'm not going to watch this" is the thumbs down button. If you're not using it to tell the system what you don't want to see, it's not going to do nearly as good of a job at showing you what you do want to see.

      Netflix has literally hundreds of obscure niches of movies, but the only way to get there is to actively curate your suggestions and tell it the things you have no interest in.

      My wife and I have different profiles, and we have another one that I curate for stuff we might watch together ... what I see in one profile is so vastly different from the other profiles that I know what I'm looking at is always far closer to what I have a chance of wanting to watch. There is very little overlap between what I watch on my own and what my wife watches on her own, and our profiles definitely reflect that.

      Cheers

    10. Re:And 110% of the choice by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I think you do have an "option" to quit cable, you just have to hit your pain point. Ie, if you paid $40 for a cup of coffee then maybe you decide you don't need coffee that badly. And if over time that high quality $40 espresso made by grass-fed barristas from Italy starts becoming a lot of Folger's Instant made by high school dropouts, the pain goes up. Eventually you decide it isn't worth the price.

      Netflix is not like cable, it will never replace replace cable exactly, but it is also not a subset of what cable has either. Cable has a wide variety of shows, but only a small number at any particular time. My DirecTV had a 'wishlist' so that I could have it watch for a particular movie and when it appeared anywhere it would record it for me, and some things took over a couple of years to finally appear. Netflix lets you see anything it has at any time, but it doesn't have everything. But it is also only a small fraction of the price of the average mid-tier cable subscription.

  2. And pornhub has 40 percent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    lol

  3. There was still one omitted hit. by grep+-v+'.*'+* · · Score: 1

    There was still one notable hit that Netflix didn't disclose numbers for: "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch."

    No numbers? Gee, I guess they're trying not to help the defense since they're being sued over that. "Choose your own adventure" -- ON A COMPUTER! (Of course discovery nixes that, but I guess they don't have to give out the numbers ahead-of-time.)

    Or even: we didn't figure that particular one out -- here are all the raw user usage dumps, good luck with that.

    I find I've got all I can watch right now with anime and manga. (They've got some of that, too.) Maybe I'll subscribe when I've seen everything else.

    --
    If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
  4. Every by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    10 percent gets a fee increase.

  5. Nwrflix is vulnerable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Netflix is in a very vulnerable position.

    Original contents cost huge amount of money. Netflix doesn't have a DEEP POCKET nor other source of revenue to pay for it.

    On the other hand, Netflix's competitors such as Apple and Disney have both VERY VERY DEEP POCKETS and other source of income to roll out tons and TONS of original programs for their planned channels.

    1. Re:Nwrflix is vulnerable by johnsie · · Score: 2

      Yeah, but all the stuff they produce is crap.

    2. Re:Nwrflix is vulnerable by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Just as long as Netflix keeps on expanding its non original content as well, it will keep its advantage.
      The problem with CBS all access and Disney (to a lesser extent) is that we when we want to watch media normally doesn't care too much on who produced it,
      If I am paying 13 a month, and I am getting a good set of shows I want to watch then that is good. However for CBS I am paying 10 for one perhaps two shows I would want to watch, and that isn't as much of a value for me. And at least for my sensibilities there isn't a single TV show worth that much, especially on a reoccurring bill, on where if I want to cancel it, I will need to overcome my anxieties to talk on the phone with a pushy sales person to cancel it, which then as far as I am concerned is one of those hidden expenses I just don't want to deal with.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:Nwrflix is vulnerable by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      On the other hand, they don't have a track record of having good streaming services. Netflix is not about its original programming, which is a tiny fraction of what it offers. Original programming gets the headlines of course, but I if it decided to only show its original programming and dumped everything else, Netflix would collapse.

      If they actually have the deep pockets, they could just buy out Netflix and merge.

  6. International by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Fortnite reportedly draws 200 million players per week.

    Note this is the international audience, not just the US.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    1. Re: International by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think most safely assumed approximately 2/3rds of the US population were NOT playing Fortnite weekly.

  7. Colony... by Freischutz · · Score: 1

    Nice numbers, now can Netflix please pick up the fourth season 'Colony' which got axed by the bean counters at USA Network this summer? It was just starting to get really interesting.

  8. Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That movie is like the stupidest thing ever.

  9. Donald Trump is a traitor. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    While the IS president has committed treason against the west a d turned his back on the free world allies, I am glad to see Netflix acknowledging they compete with other forms of entertainment for attention. It's refreshing after all the lies the movie cartels tell. They are like Donald Trump.

  10. But for how long? by Mordaximus · · Score: 1, Interesting

    With Disney poised to launch their offering, not only will a great deal of movies and shows begin to dry up at Netflix, but viewers might have a compelling alternative.

    Netflix could also become a victim of the monster they created. The worthwhile Netflix originals tend to be between 6 and 13 episodes. If there are 4 or 5 such shows in a year, people might start subscribing for one month, binge watch those, then cancel their subscriptions until the next seasons are done.

    1. Re:But for how long? by dltaylor · · Score: 1

      I will miss some of the Disney conglomerate content if/when they pull it from Netflix, but not enough to subscribe to their channel. I dropped cable because I had to have every single one of TWC/Spectrum's bundles to get the 8 or 9 channels I wanted. Even Spectrum's 20 channels for $20 (or so) streaming service is not worth it to me (10 for $10 might be). I will not get caught up in having to subscribe to several different services to get the few things I want from each of them; I will simply do without. CrunchyRoll was nice to get to the end of several series left hanging when I cut cable, but I'm even beginning to wonder about that one since I'm not finding much new that appeals to me.

    2. Re:But for how long? by johnsie · · Score: 1

      Disney is for kids. I'll be sticking with Netflix.

    3. Re:But for how long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Same amount of identity politics and outright propaganda in both, though.

    4. Re:But for how long? by Mordaximus · · Score: 3, Informative

      I think you grossly underestimate what Disney owns; Marvel, Lucasarts, ABC, ESPN, A&E (and its children.) That’s off the top of my head. You won’t just be missing out on Aladdin part 12.

    5. Re:But for how long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You make it sound good!!

      More original content, less worn out rehashed rebooted garbage.

    6. Re:But for how long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey now, there's only been three Aladdins. The Tinker Bell direct to DVD releases are the series with the high number of releases. I'm not sure if that beats the Land Before Time's 15 releases though.

  11. Now if they could license by bobstreo · · Score: 1

    Network broadcasts, say a week after shows air, and start streaming sports live, they could finish killing video rental services and cable TV.

    Losing Disney/Star Wars/Marvel content is kind of a blessing
      because most "fans" really don't really want to watch them more than once, if that.

    1. Re:Now if they could license by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Network broadcasts, say a week after shows air, and start streaming sports live, they could finish killing video rental services and cable TV.

      Hulu already does all of that.

  12. How many actually watch complete shows? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When I started Netflix it was $7.99 and now its going to $13.99 almost double in just a few years. Overall they seem to be spending lot's of money on exclusive productions, and less on anything else. All the while they have grown subscribers, they seem to be making less money? Hence the rate increases. Not really a sustainable business model in my opinion.

  13. Re:Donald Trump is a traitor by Mordaximus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It would be so nice if to post as AC, you needed to be logged in to a valid account. Might cut down on the tiring spam. Better yet, a valid account with good karma.

  14. tv is tv by sad_ · · Score: 1

    i'm not sure that a game like fortnite is the real competition to netflix. if fortnite wouldn't be around, those people would probably play something else and if there would be no computer games at all, i still doubt most of them would suddenly start watching tv.
    i remember from my teenage years that i couldn't care less about tv, and gamed/irc'ed the whole evening away.

    tv _is_ the competitor, be it by cable or other streaming services like youtube (don't underestimate how much time youngsters spend on youtube, and it's free).

    --
    On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
  15. Netflix grow by ashishmalikin · · Score: 1

    Netflix will Grow the market is huge

  16. Imagine! by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    They'd have more if they got Buffy and House back.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    1. Re: Imagine! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Netflix is fucked. They will be out of business when all the content provides pull their close tent.

    2. Re:Imagine! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Weren't those both Fox shows? And who just bought Fox? Disney.

  17. Thanks For Reminding Me! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    With the utter shite library and the increases in price that now have me paying $15+ per month for a service I'm not watching at all, I've been meaning to cancel my Netflix service.For stupid reasons, mostly based in laziness, I keep putting it off.

    I just canceled my service. Thanks for reminding me!

  18. Bodyguard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bodyguard wasn't "co-produced" with Netflix. It was actually a BBC show that was picked up later for North American distribution by Netflix. These kinds of claims are getting tiresome.

  19. Netflix Says It Has 10 Percent of All TV Time by DigressivePoser · · Score: 1

    And 20 percent of that 10 percent consists of the damn autoplaying previews.

  20. TWC tried reality before by tepples · · Score: 1

    Hell, at this point, I guessing it is only a matter of time before the Weather Channel stops showing weather, and just becomes the home of sharknado marathons or survival of the storm contests.

    Starting in the mid-2000s, The Weather Channel once tried to pivot to long-form reality programming connected in some way to earth science, such as Storm Stories, Prospectors, and Highway Thru Hell. But by 2014, DirecTV dropped TWC for WeatherNation for a few months over this, and Verizon FiOS dropped it for AccuWeather Network. TWC dramatically scaled back its reality programming, particularly starting in August 2015 when Weather Underground premiered and Wake Up With Al ended.

  21. CYOA dispute is trademark, not patent by tepples · · Score: 1

    Gee, I guess they're trying not to help the defense since they're being sued over that. "Choose your own adventure" -- ON A COMPUTER!

    The "ON A COMPUTER!" meme comes from patents, but the case you're referring to is about trademarks.

    There are several different brands of branching-path gamebook. One is Give Yourself Goosebumps, published by Scholastic. Others include Choose Your Own Adventure, published by Chooseco, and Fighting Fantasy, originally published by Puffin but later sold to Scholastic. But a character in Bandersnatch refers to a gamebook clearly not published by Chooseco as Choose Your Own Adventure, and the work doesn't portray the character as incorrect. It'd be like referring to store-brand batteries as Duracell or some obscure brand of car insurance as GEICO. Someone's lawyers just forgot to play Cover Your Own A$$.

  22. Canceling Netflix and CBS without phone call by tepples · · Score: 1

    And at least for my sensibilities there isn't a single TV show worth that much, especially on a reoccurring bill

    Then subscribe to one service for a month, catch up on its originals, cancel, and subscribe to a different service for next month. This works because these services don't carry sport matches, political analysis, entertainment industry awards shows, or other live events with a short shelf life.

    if I want to cancel it, I will need to overcome my anxieties to talk on the phone with a pushy sales person to cancel it

    Websites list the following procedures, which can be completed through the web without use of a telephone. Not being a subscriber to these particular services, I haven't tested them myself.

    Netflix Account > Membership and billing > Cancel membership > Finish cancellation CBS All Access Account > CBS All Access Account > Cancel my subscription > Yes, cancel my subscription

    Which over-the-top service actually requires a phone call to cancel?

  23. Games have less need to negotiate by tepples · · Score: 1

    Which points out an advantage of Fortnite over online video distributors: Epic Games owns worldwide rights in Fortnite.

    Historically, feature films and TV series are subject to decades-long exclusive agreements with distributors specializing in one country, which predate wide availability of home broadband. In the case of video games that aren't adaptations of feature films and TV series, one company or a small set of companies typically controls the worldwide distribution right. Thus unlike Netflix and other online video distributors, Epic is unburdened by a need to negotiate with regional distributors separately per country. This allows its marketing to consider an international audience, not separate audiences per country, except in the most authoritarian markets where the government regulates which foreign amusement games are and aren't allowed to be distributed to the public.

    1. Re:Games have less need to negotiate by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      That is a good point.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  24. Streaming will never be the product I want. by philmarcracken · · Score: 1

    Torrents are still the better choice. I can take them anywhere without internet, edit them how I please, using any player I wish and they come in much higher quality than the carefully crushed bitrate that netflix is willingly to pay for.

    They also don't create an internet peak hour(s) due to distributed loading.

    If someone replicated Steam/GOG for video files, perhaps MKV wrapped AV1 for a flat fee, that could successfully compete with free. User reviews alone would be well on the way. With that payment model, winners and losers are able to be chosen by the crowd, instead of subscriptions in which you're paying for quality 'amy schumer' specials or letting them lock 4k behind win10, intel CPUs and specific browsers.