Why FX boss' critique of Netflix touting "40 million" You viewers is wrong

Vulture

"It is not wrong of (FX boss John Landgraf) to take issue with the idea that 40 million people — or even 40 million homes — have watched all of season one of You on Netflix," says Vulture's Josef Adalian. But, he Adalian adds, "Landgraf's case gets weaker when he all but accuses Netflix of being a con artist deliberately trying to mislead the media, and, by extension, everyone else. Consider how he characterized Netflix’s release of the numbers for You and Sex Education. After accurately quoting Netflix’s shareholder letter announcing the 40 million figure for You, Landgraf made it seem as if the streamer was trying to pull a fast one on reporters and shareholders: 'Subsequently, Netflix clarified the statement by adding that their watch time meant that an individual Netflix account watched at least 70 percent of one of You’s ten episodes,' he told reporters. A Netflix rep declined to comment on Landgraf’s charges, but in fact, Netflix offered that important qualifier in the very same shareholder letter in which it revealed its 40 million number. Further, even as Landgraf accurately noted that the 'ratings' released by Netflix are not comparable with the Nielsen numbers regularly reported on by American media outlets (including Vulture), he then threw out his own set of misleading numbers" about You."