Cutting the Cord: Breaking down Netflix binges
Netflix has discovered that not all binge-watching is equal.
When subscribers to the Net TV service get hooked on a series, such as Orange is the New Black or House of Cards, they usually complete a season within one week. But some shows get consumed more quickly than others.
Among the shows that viewers devour the fastest — an entire season in four days, on average — are Breaking Bad, Dexter, Sons of Anarchy and Netflix's own The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan.
But some other shows are savored a bit more, with viewers finishing them in about six days. Among those savored series are BoJack Horseman, the adult animated series with a talking horse voiced by Will Arnett, Arrested Development and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
To create its Binge Scale, Netflix analyzed viewership patterns in more than 190 countries of users who finished first seasons of more than 100 TV series between October 2015 and May 2016. If viewers spent more than two hours per day watching a series until finishing the season's worth of episodes, the show was classified as "Devoured." When viewers watched less than two hours daily, those series were classified as "Savored."
Viewers tended to devour horror (The Walking Dead), thrillers (Bates Motel) and science fiction (Heroes), watching, on average, 2 hours, 30 minutes daily, Netflix found. They savored irreverent comedies (Love), political dramas (House of Cards), and historical dramas (Mad Men), watching, on average, 1 hour, 45 minutes per day.
Where a series falls on the scale has no relation to how popular the series is. Netflix doesn't release ratings, but CEO Reed Hastings, back in October 2013, said that Orange is the New Black, in its first season then, would be its most-watched original series.
The Binge Scale makes sense, says TVUPstream.com's David Gonos, who reckons that with thrillers "we always wanted to know what's next," but comedies "don't necessarily pull you in one after another with cliffhanger endings."
However, I wonder whether Netflix's results represent the classic binge-watching profile. After all, day-long binges are what led to binge-watching becoming part of pop culture.
My wife and I often watch three or four episodes at a time, and she likes to watch even more in succession when she has free time.
This two-hour daily allotment "conflicts directly with my personal binge-watching, which is best done all day, in bed, over an entire weekend," agrees Clover Hope, a senior writer for the women's culture blog Jezebel.
Want to share your thoughts on devouring, savoring and classic binge-watching? You can contact me below and perhaps we will revisit this topic in the future.
"Cutting the Cord" is a regular column covering Net TV and ways to get it. If you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider at msnider@usatoday.com. And follow him on Twitter: @MikeSnider.