Skip to main content

A bounty of originals help make Netflix far more popular than its rivals, study finds

Image used with permission by copyright holder
There’s a reason the phrase is “Netflix and chill.” While the streaming service may have competitors in the form of Hulu and Amazon, when it comes to content, Netflix is king. That claim is backed up by a recent study by Parrot Analytics, which found that Netflix originals are eight times more popular than those from Amazon and nine times more popular than those from Hulu. Though Netflix is notoriously protective of its viewer data, some interesting numbers have emerged.

In conducting its study, Parrot Analytics examined “cross-platform, country-specific measurements of video streaming, social media activity, photo sharing, blogging, commenting on fan and critic rating platforms,” and downloading and streaming by way of peer-to-peer protocols and file-sharing sites, Fierce Cable explained. And it would appear that Netflix’s secret to success is sheer volume — with more than 50 original titles to its name, it’s no wonder that some of them are blockbusters.

“Netflix’s veteran titles still attract significant amounts of demand, such as the peak in March (weeks 9-13) from the fourth season of House of Cards and the second season of Marvel’s Daredevil,” Parrot Analytics wrote in a report. “However, Netflix’s true strength is in its constant production and release of new, buzzy content.” Citing the gargantuan success after the premiere of Stranger Things in week 28, the analytics firm noted that Netflix’s popularity reached new heights. “Other new hits such as Marvel’s Luke Cage in week 39 and The OA in week 50 continued to build on this popularity, leading Netflix to end the year with over 2.7 times more demand than the other three platforms combined,” Parrot concluded.

The volume of Netflix’s output also helps to bring in subscribers and increase its stock price, Parrot noted. Indeed, this is something that Netflix itself has corroborated — last quarter, the company brought in 7 million new subscribers and saw its stock price increase 8.4 percent in after-hours trading. Netflix attributed this growth to its popular catalog.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Turns out Jupiter has far more water in its atmosphere than we thought
The JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this image of Jupiter's southern equatorial region on Sept. 1, 2017. The image is oriented so Jupiter's poles (not visible) run left-to-right of frame.

The JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this image of Jupiter's southern equatorial region on Sept. 1, 2017. The image is oriented so Jupiter's poles (not visible) run left-to-right of frame. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

NASA's Juno spacecraft has made a significant discovery about the atmosphere of Jupiter -- that it contains water, with more water clustered in some areas than in others.

Read more
The best new shows streaming on Netflix, Hulu, HBO and more in September
shameless season 8 renew showtime

As we gear up for fall and head into the latter part of the year, it’s time to get ready to binge. A stream (pun intended) of new series will be premiering this September, while popular shows will also be returning to the small screen.

From Netflix to Amazon, Hulu to HBO, here are the series premiering on streaming platforms in September that we’re excited about.
Disenchantment (Netflix)

Read more
Powerful, high-end electric cars are 40% more likely to crash than gas models, study finds
Novitec Tesla Model S

Electric cars with muscle car-like power and jaw-dropping acceleration times are more likely to crash than comparable, gasoline-powered models, according to a study carried out by French insurance company Axa. Conversely, the same study concluded that tamer battery-powered cars are less likely to be involved in an accident.

"We saw that in the micro and small car classes, slightly fewer accidents are caused by electric autos. If you look at the luxury and SUV classes, however, we see 40% more accidents with electric vehicles," revealed Bettina Zahnd, the head of accident research and prevention for Axa's Swiss division, in an interview with Reuters.

Read more