Netflix reveals new data suggesting Bridgerton viewers overwhelmingly watched the whole season

The Hollywood Reporter

Netflix has often touted a show's viewership based on how many households watch at least two minutes. During Vox Media’s Code Conference on Monday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos unveiled a new metric for ranking TV series: total hours viewed. By that metric, Bridgerton is (again) the No. 1 show with 625 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.” The Top 10 list also includes Money Heist (619 million hours viewed for Part 4, 426 million for Part 3), Stranger Things (582 million for Season 3, 427 million for Season 2), The Witcher (541 million), 13 Reasons Why (496 million for Season 2, 476 million for Season 1), You (457 million for Season 2) and Ginny & Georgia (381 million). "Netflix previously touted Bridgerton as being viewed by 82 million member accounts (the company counts two minutes of watching as a view)," explains The Hollywood Reporter's Rick Porter. "Dividing 625 million hours of watch time by 82 million accounts equals about 7 hours and 37 minutes of viewing per account — nearly the entire 8 hour, 10 minute running time for the eight-episode season. Similarly, The Witcher‘s 541 million hours of viewing spread across the 76 million member accounts who watched at least two minutes equates to about 7 hours and 7 minutes per account. The series’ first season has a run time of 7 hours and 58 minutes, again suggesting that a large number of subscribers stuck with the whole season. Stranger Things 3, meanwhile, had a higher average viewing time (8 hours, 41 minutes) than its full running time (7 hours, 29 minutes), based on 67 million member accounts consuming 582 million hours of the season. That implies some users completed the season and then rewatched some portion of it within four weeks." Meanwhile, Sarandos said Korean survival drama Squid Game is on pace to become Netflix's No. 1 show 10 days after its premiere. “We did not see that coming, in terms of its global popularity,” Sarandos said.