Netflix says it has 10% of all TV time in the US and discloses some colossal numbers for its shows

FAN Editor

Netflix lifted the veil on some of its viewership numbers for top-performing content such as “Bird Box.”

Though the company has typically omitted these numbers, it disclosed how some of its shows are performing in its fourth-quarter 2018 earnings report on Thursday.

While the numbers paint a slightly clearer picture of Netflix’s viewership, it still doesn’t show exactly how many people have viewed the content, as it reported these numbers based on “member households,” which leaves room for ambiguity since subscribers often share accounts.

Overall, Netflix said it serves about 100 million hours of video per day, earning an estimated 10 percent of all time spent in front of the TV in the U.S.

Netflix said its hit of the season, “Bird Box,” featuring Sandra Bullock and inspiring countless memes, reached 80 million member households in its first four weeks on the streaming service.

By way of comparison, during the week of Jan. 7, the top TV show was an NFL playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Jan. 13, which drew 33 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The top scripted show, “The Big Bang Theory,” drew over 13 million.

“One thing this quarter that’s been incredibly exciting [is] when you see a big number like ‘Bird Box’ and ‘You’,” Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said during the company’s earnings interview. “These shows are playing incredibly globally. So it’s an interesting thing when you can tap into the global zeitgeist with something, which gets me very excited about the potential scale of the content business.”

But Netflix does not view TV as its only competition. In its earnings note, it also said games such as Fortnite compete for attention. Fortnite reportedly draws 200 million players per week.

The company also highlighted several of its international projects. Netflix said its original from Spain, “Elite,” was watched by over 20 million member households worldwide in the first four weeks. “Bodyguard,” co-produced with BBC One; “Baby,” an original series from Italy, and “Protector,” an original series from Turkey, all reached more than 10 million member households in their first four weeks, the company said.

There was still one notable hit that Netflix didn’t disclose numbers for: “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.” Instead, the company discussed in its earnings letter that the technology used to create the movie, its first interactive choose-your-own-adventure-style flick, will be used for interactive projects in the future.

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Watch: Netflix shares drops on mixed fourth-quarter earnings

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