By Joe Flint
Netflix Inc. said its original shows and movies were watched
more than any other content released on the streaming service in
2019, a sign of the company's aggressive investment in its own
content in anticipation of getting fewer programs from traditional
Hollywood suppliers.
The company said its most popular release this year in the U.S.
was "Murder Mystery," a comedy starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer
Aniston, topping the third season of "Stranger Things." The only
program on the streaming service's top ten for this year that
wasn't originated by Netflix was "The Incredibles 2" from Walt
Disney Co.'s Pixar unit.
The rankings don't include the most popular content on Netflix
-- only the most popular that debuted in 2019. Netflix didn't
disclose how much original and acquired programming the company
released in 2019 and didn't provide actual viewing numbers for its
rankings.
A spokesman for Netflix said the information is "a fun way to
celebrate the most popular shows and films on Netflix" released
this year. The spokesman said its rankings are based on "at least
two minutes of viewing."
Netflix's lack of complete transparency on its viewing patterns
has been criticized by rival media companies. Netflix has said that
since it doesn't sell advertising, providing exact viewing numbers
isn't necessary.
Netflix's aggressive investment spree in original content --
estimated at $15 billion this year alone -- comes as Walt Disney is
no longer selling to Netflix. The company is focusing its efforts
on its Disney+ streaming service that launched last month. Next
year, Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal and AT&T Inc.'s WarnerMedia
will unveil their Peacock and HBO Max streaming platforms and are
also expected to sell less to Netflix.
Netflix movies are also garnering more critical acclaim. This
year, the Spanish-language movie "Roma" won three Oscars. Recent
releases "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story" received multiple
Golden Globe nominations and are expected to receive Oscar
nominations as well.
Netflix films the company said will finish in the top ten this
year include the recently released Michael Bay-directed action
thriller "6 Underground" and the Martin Scorsese-directed mob drama
"The Irishman."
The three television series cracking Netflix's top ten in the
U.S. were the third season of "Stranger Things" and new shows "The
Witcher" and "The Umbrella Academy," all Netflix originals. Among
Netflix TV shows, other popular programs this year include "Dead to
Me" and the second season of the stalker drama "You."
Often Netflix has provided more detailed viewing data, typically
when it is reporting its financial results. In those cases, Netflix
has counted a viewer as someone who watched at least 70% of a movie
or TV show. The two-minute methodology, the spokesman said,
eliminates the bias toward short-form content, compared to longer
shows and movies, that the 70% threshold has, so is better suited
when ranking popularity.
Unlike traditional broadcast and cable networks, Netflix doesn't
support third-party measurement by Nielsen. While Nielsen does
attempt to measure Netflix viewing, the company has in the past
questioned its numbers. The Netflix spokesman declined to comment
on Nielsen's numbers.
According to Nielsen data, eight of the top-ten most viewed
shows on Netflix overall are reruns of broadcast TV programs,
including "Friends" and "The Office" -- a sign that while original
content is growing in popularity in the U.S., acquired programming
remains the most popular on Netflix.
Both "Friends" and "The Office" are leaving Netflix in the U.S.
with "Friends" moving to HBO Max after this year and "The Office"
leaving for Peacock in 2021.
The company on Monday also detailed its most-popular content
outside the U.S. Netflix has begun emphasizing its international
expansion as its growth in the U.S. slows and competition
increases. Earlier this month, Netflix disclosed that its
subscriber numbers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa h ave more
than doubled since 2017. Latin America has also seen strong growth
over the past two years.
Netflix said its original films were dominant when it measured
the popularity of its 2019-released content in all but a handful of
33 countries outside the U.S. The company has previously said
movies account for about one-third of its total viewership in the
U.S. and overseas. Netflix has about 160 million subscribers
world-wide.
"Murder Mystery" was the favorite in eight other countries
including Australia, Mexico and Singapore. "6 Underground" is on
top in four countries: the Philippines, Malaysia, Switzerland and
South Africa.
Popular Netflix television shows abroad include "The Witcher" --
which was only released on Dec. 20, but already is projected to be
number one for the year in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland,
Taiwan and Poland.
Another international TV hit is the third season of the
Spanish-language crime drama "Money Heist," which is the most
watched series in Spain, France, Brazil, Israel and Belgium.
In many countries, Netflix's original programming made for a
particular area held the top spot, including Japan where "The Naked
Director," based on the life of an adult filmmaker Toru Muranishi,
was the most popular. In India, whose top shows included local
productions "Sacred Games," a police drama set in Mumbai, and the
movie "Kabir Singh," about the dark side of a doctor.
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 30, 2019 11:59 ET (16:59 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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