Netflix releases massive data dump.
Netflix released worldwide data on over 18,000 titles (comprising movies plus individual seasons of a series), accounting for over 99% of their entire catalog. The release spans the first half of the year (January 2023 – June 2023), and measures total time spent, release date, and whether or not the title is globally distributed. Journalists and industry experts have pored through the data, covering insights on kids content, renewal and cancellation cycles, non-English title performance, diversity in top titles, as well as regional titles from around the world.
One particular focus of the data was the distribution ratio between licensed and original content. The ratio for 1H’23 was roughly 45% licensed with 55% original (however this covers data globally). Circana’s US-only data closely resembles that ratio, coming in at 48% licensed and 52% original. Looking back over the past five years, we can see that the gap has narrowed considerably from the 70% ratio of licensed for 1H’19.
|
1H-2019 |
1H-2020 |
1H-2021 |
1H-2022 |
1H-2023 |
|
|
Licensed |
70% |
64% |
62% |
52% |
48% |
|
Original |
30% |
36% |
38% |
48% |
52% |
|
Gap |
+40% |
+28% |
+24% |
+3% |
-4% |
As the table shows, the distribution gap narrowed rapidly from 2019-2022, and has been almost even for the last two years. However, between the writers’ and actors’ strikes this summer which halted production of original content, plus high-performing licensed content like USA Network’s Suits, this ratio is already starting to widen again in 2H’23.
The Circana Take:
- Netflix releasing this data acts as a de facto challenge to other streamers to do something similar (but when?). Even with 2023’s weaker streaming performance compared to years past, Netflix is still #1 in virtually all measures. The company continues to prove that their audience can drive numbers for original and licensed content alike.
- Given the proven history of success that Netflix has had, developing a solid content strategy will involve more than just a licensing deal or original productions. Understanding genre distribution, content windowing, and competitive titles each play a part in the overall success of Netflix. Fine tuning those nuances makes all the difference.