(Los Angeles) The Night Agent was the most viewed series of the first quarter of 2023 on Netflix, the streaming giant said Tuesday, releasing its detailed audiences for the first time in its history.
The first season of this American series resulted in more than 812 million hours of viewing across the world between January and June, according to a document compiling data from programs watched for more than 50,000 hours – or 18,000 titles representing 99% of Netflix audience.
Other hit content includes Wednesday, You and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Chapter. Non-English productions are also well represented, accounting for 30% of views, particularly titles in Korean and Spanish.
Netflix has committed to publishing this information every six months, a major change of perspective for the company which usually prefers to keep it to itself.
Since 2021, however, the company has published top 10s as well as a list of “most popular” content, based on the performance of programs during their first 91 days on the platform. But this new report goes further.
The platform was put under pressure this year to increase its transparency, while Hollywood was shaken by strikes organized by screenwriters’ and actors’ unions which notably demanded a greater share of the profits generated by the boom in streaming.
“This is a big step forward for Netflix and our industry,” the company said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos denied that the initiative was prompted by discussions with industry unions. He said Netflix’s policy of non-disclosure of viewing data was intended to avoid serving potential competitors, but had “created an atmosphere of distrust over time.”
“We believe that the viewing information (contained) in this report […] will give creators and our industry a more precise view of our audiences and what interests them,” the company said in its press release.
