Netflix has released a report, called “The Binge Scale,” which shows the results of an analyses of more than 100 serialized TV series across more than 190 countries between October 2015 and May 2016, all in an attempt to examine your global viewing habits via its streaming platform.
Netflix members around the world are making their own rules when it comes to watching TV. Instead of one episode per week, Netflix members choose to binge watch their way through a series – that is, on average, finishing an entire season in one week. Though binge watching is clearly the new normal, not all series are enjoyed the same way. “The Binge Scale” reveals which shows we devour and which we savor.
The company found that when members are focused on finishing a series, they watch a little over two hours a day to complete a season. When organizing series in relation to this benchmark, interesting patterns emerge, ranging from high energy narratives that are devoured, to thought-provoking dramas that are savored.
Series like “Sense8,” “Orphan Black” and “The 100,” as The Binge Scale shows, have you hooked. The classic elements of horror and thrillers are also popular, pushing the placement of series like “The Walking Dead,” “American Horror Story” and “The Fall” towards the “devour” end of the scale. Likewise, comedies with a dramatic bent, like “Orange is the New Black,” “Nurse Jackie” and “Grace and Frankie,” seem to tickle your fancy, and are more savored.
It’s no surprise that complex narratives like that of “House of Cards” and “Bloodline,” are indulged at an unhurried pace. Nor is it a surprise that viewers take care to appreciate the details of dramas set in bygone eras, like “Peaky Blinders” and “Mad Men.”
Maybe less obvious are irreverent comedies like “BoJack Horseman,” “Love” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” But the societal commentary, densely layered comedy and flawed characters allow these shows to lean more toward the “savored.”
“As The Binge Scale indicates, the viewing experience of a series can range from the emotional to the thought-provoking,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. “Netflix helps you to find a series to binge no matter your mood or occasion, and the freedom to watch that series at your own pace – whether that’s to appreciate the drama of Bloodline or power through Orange is the New Black.”
To come up with the report, Netflix’s research examined member completion of the first season for all series. Data was only included for accounts that fully completed the season. Completion rates were organized into days and hours. The global median days to complete the first season of these series was five days. The median hours per session for completers overall was two hours and ten minutes. Series viewed less than two hours per day were identified as “savored.” Series viewed more than two hours per day were identified as “devoured.” Series were not restricted by launch dates, runtime or number of episodes.
Where a series falls on The Netflix Binge Scale has no relation to viewership.
