Netflix has revealed detailed viewing data for the first half of this year in its new, biannual engagement report, What We Watched.
The most popular Australian TV show on Netflix this year was Celeste Barber’s sitcom Wellmania, ranking at #400. The popular show, which was cancelled by the streamer earlier this year, was watched for more than 41 million hours since its release at the end of March to June 30.
But its success pales compared to the streamer’s number one show overall: the first season of American thriller series The Night Agent, which racked up 812 million hours of viewing.
The rest of the top 10 most-viewed series on Netflix globally includes a number of high-profile first seasons, such as Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, released late in 2022; Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story; and the much-loved Ginny & Georgia, with audiences spending 665 million hours catching up on season one after the second season debuted in January (it was ranked #2 overall).
It also includes new seasons of Netflix favourites, including Penn Badgley-led murder thriller You and teen drama Outer Banks.
True Spirit, Netflix’s biopic of Jessica Watson, the Aussie teenager who sailed solo around the world in 2009, was the top Australian movie, with more than 56 million hours watched. The most-watched movie overall was The Mother, starring Jennifer Lopez, with 249 million hours of views.
The most popular licensed title was season one of Spanish language series Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal, about the life of the notorious Columbian drug dealer. It’s followed by rom-com flick Your Place or Mine, starring Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher.
Netflix have long avoided sharing detailed viewing data for their titles, but the release of this new report appears to be a step towards greater transparency from the streamer. Global figures are available for both Netflix originals and licensed movies and TV shows that were watched for at least 50,000 hours in the first six months of this year.
Nothing like a spreadsheet of raw data to inspire you to finally catch up on what everyone else has been watching. Meet you on the couch for a Night Agent binge.
