‘House Of Cards’ Season 4: Even Creator Beau Willimon Does Not Know How Many People Watch His Hit Show

House of Cards has certainly been one of the more successful shows that Netflix has put together in recent years.

With the ability to watch every episode of a season without having to wait week after week like traditional TV shows, Netflix has become a high-volume source for television series. However, just how popular are shows like House of Cards?

While traditional networks typically publish their viewership ratings for all to see, Netflix tends to keep their statistics internally. Even Beau Willimon, creator of House of Cards, admits that he has no idea how people watch his show.

“To this day, I have no idea how many people have watched the show on Netflix. They have never given me any data whatsoever,” Willimon told The Hollywood Reporter,”All they say is, ‘Well, we’re doing well and we’d like another season.’ And that’s really all I need to know.”

Willimon went on to state that the method Netflix uses to distribute its content – by releasing full seasons in their entirety – may play a part in how Netflix combs through its data.

“We have a different thing, too, in the sense that the whole thing comes out in one day,” he explained. “A successful television program has become more than just ratings and shares. I think there are a lot of different metrics on which to gauge success now, and all that really matters is that the people paying the bills want another season.”

Meanwhile, Netflix has been playing a larger part in producing popular television series. With that in mind, Willimon also talked about what it was like working with the streaming service in developing his series.

“What was immediately clear was they [Netflix] were getting into the original content game in a big way, they were willing to make a big commitment, and they placed a huge amount of faith in us,” he stated. “They said from the get-go, ‘We want you to make the show that you want to make, and we will support you 100 percent, financially and creatively.'”

The interview with Willimon took place during a roundtable event with other show creators, including Sarah Treem (The Affair), Michelle King (The Good Wife), Alex Gansa (Homeland), Lee Daniels (Empire), and Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers).

The entire special with The Hollywood Reporter is set to air August 30 on Sundance TV and online at HollywoodReporter.com.

House of Cards season 4 will premiere on Netflix sometime in 2016.

[Image Courtesy: House of Cards Facebook]