Survey: Netflix Originals Are 36% of Streamer’s Total U.S. Viewing Time; HBO Licensing Deal Could Lower Total
Original content is vital for streaming services. Original titles based on valuable intellectual property are big drivers of engagement, which is part of the reason Netflix’s library in the United States is more than 50% original content as of May 2022.
The popularity of Netflix originals is impossible to argue. Series like “Stranger Things” and “Wednesday” produce viewership metrics that most streaming services can only dream of, and anticipation is already building for a new season of “Bridgerton,” despite its release being months away at the least.
That’s why new data released by the research and analysis firm Omdia was so surprising. Omdia’s numbers show that in the first three months of 2023, only 35.6% of viewing time on Netflix in the U.S. was spent watching Netflix originals. This is despite the fact that 403 of the 935 Netflix original titles launched in 2022 were produced in the U.S.
“Given its increasing emphasis on originals and heavy investment, the share of viewing actually going to these titles seems surprisingly low, ” said Tim Westcott, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia. “The reasons for this could include: the continuing strong performance of certain non-original content, especially theatrical movies but also some TV series that have been acquired by Netflix. The ‘Harry Potter’ movies and TV series like ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Rick and Morty’ feature among the top titles in other countries like Italy and Germany.”
It’s also fair to point out that Netflix simply hasn’t released a “Stranger Things”-level hit in the first three months of 2023. Shows with smaller audiences like “You” and “Love is Blind” released new episodes within this timeframe, but neither have reached the cultural phenomenon status that other Netflix titles have achieved.
Still, Omdia’s numbers give some context to the news that Netflix might be about to strike a big licensing agreement. Netflix is reportedly working with Warner Bros. Discovery to license HBO original series. Doing so wouldn’t help Netflix boost the time its users spend with its own originals, but if they’re going to use the service to watch so much licensed content, it might as well give them premium titles from a highly-esteemed brand.
Perhaps the data from Omida shows that viewing time on Netflix during the first three months of 2023 was dominated by women. A study from March showed that 18 of the top 25 streaming titles among women aged 18-34 in 2022 were library shows, not originals. Netflix housed 14 of these titles, including “Criminal Minds,” which departed the service briefly last June before being restored in August.
In the end, the data from Omdia is not likely to have a big effect on Netflix’s original content spending habits. But it may convince the service to continue bolstering its catalog with library shows, as its users wait for new seasons of its hottest original series to wrap up production.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.