Netflix lists its series and movies on its platform daily to give you an idea of what people have been watching lately. Sometimes it also publishes viewed hours data for its most popular productions. However, it never fully discloses viewership numbers.
Beginning in November, it will finally reveal how many people watched the productions, at least in the UK. The streaming giant has teamed up with BARB, a nonprofit that measures TV ratings in the region so concrete stream numbers can be learned. “BARB is the first industry-owned viewership currency in the world to join Netflix,” the organization said in its announcement.
While Netflix programs regularly feature in Nielsen’s streaming rankings, the two agencies do not officially work together. In fact, Nielsen’s list doesn’t seem to match Netflix’s own Top 10 at times. Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings said: “At the RTS conference in Cambridge in 2019, I welcomed the idea of independently measuring Netflix viewers. We’ve been in touch with BARB ever since and are committed to reliable measurement of how people watch TV in the UK. We are pleased to do so.”
From the second week of November, BARB will release viewing figures for Netflix that are comparable to traditional broadcasters. The organization will report the service’s monthly reach and the total view share defined. In addition to showing how the service is performing compared to traditional TV, this report will also include Netflix, along with programs from all traditional channels, in its weekly top 50 programming report starting in November.
As The Guardian points out, this decision shows that Netflix believes being more outspoken with its viewer numbers would shed a good light on the company. People have long criticized the service for not publishing any view metrics, especially for failed programs.
According to BARB’s preliminary report in September, Netflix is not doing well in the UK. It is seen as the most accessed streaming service in the region. And while not as much watched as the BBC, it still accounts for 8 percent of all UK TV viewing. This is far above some channels including Channel 4 and Sky.
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