Netflix Unveils Data that Reveals Which Episodes Hooked Audiences

Netflix has you hooked, and it knows exactly when it grabbed you. The worldwide streaming service has released data that it used to determine when exactly a show converted its audience from a casual viewer into a committed one. Overall, the data suggests similar viewing patterns all over the world. Whether you’re in Argentina or Armenia, most viewers get hooked on shows at roughly the same point and identify with similar story lines.

Netflix found that its more dramatic and plot driven shows tended to commit viewers earlier. Shows like Stranger Things and The Fall hooked viewers in their second episodes. Other shows like Making a Murderer and Prison Break hooked viewers fairly early on as well.

The streaming network defines the episode that converts viewers from casual to committed as “the episode that kept 70% of viewers watching through a first season’s end.” That point varied based on the show, but provides interesting insights on which kind of stories audiences prefer.

The company found that with shows like Gilmore Girls and Jane the Virgin, it was the seventh episode that hooked viewers, largely because of the intrigue surrounding a character’s love life.

“We’ve always believed there is a universality to great stories. The Internet allows us to share these stories with a global audience and what we see from the data is how similar our members watch and respond,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. “The hooked findings give us confidence that there is an appetite for original and unique content all over the world, which is why we’re excited to deliver variety in stories to our members.”