Netflix: Most Watched Shows

Although Netflix has been hesitant about handing out its numbers over for the most-watched television shows, recent data gathered from thousands of Netflix subscribers shed light on which shows are ranking the highest.

Variety reports that 2,500 Netflix subscribers were included in the research, performed via Luth Research and a third party tool, ZQ Intelligence. Even though that’s only a small fraction of Netflix subscribers, the numbers indicate that certain shows are ranking much higher than others.

The following findings only include subscribers who view shows through tablets, computers, or cellphones. Those who watch Netflix shows on televisions are not included.

House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, is one of the big winners as far as viewership, with more than 6.5 percent of Netflix subscribers viewing the show within the first 30 days of its premiere on February 27.

The show continued its growth throughout all three seasons, making it the most-viewed show on Netflix this year. In fact, during its third season, House of Cards was viewed more than any other original show on Netflix.

However, on its first day of release, Daredevil was watched more than any other shows’ first-released episodes on Netflix. Around 10.7 percent of all subscribers have watched at least one episode of Daredevil, which indicates more than four million viewers watched the first episode within the first week of release.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is also a power player in the most-watched shows. Starring Ellie Kemper as Kimmie, the comedy show drew in 7.3 percent of all viewers during its first week of release. Other front-runners include Bloodline and Marco Polo.

Netflix has declined to comment on the recent findings. Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer of Netflix, states that ratings are “an irrelevant measure of success for us.” This in part due to the fact that the streaming media company does not depend on advertisements, such as commercials, like most other television networks do. However, executives did indicate that Netflix original shows “playing out as we hoped.”

Other originals shows and movies are expected to rank high in viewership upon their release this year, including the third season of Orange is the New Black, and Adam Sandler’s new movie, Ridiculous 6.

Meanwhile, Kevin Spacey feels that the success of House of Cards will remain popular and can last at least 12 seasons. The fourth installment of the show is slated for release in 2016.

Regardless if the company releases its own viewership numbers or not, it seems that Netflix will only move upwards as it continues to release movies and shows that appeals to the general audience. The company frequently collaborates with musicians, bands, and actors, that helps boost its popularity even further.