Netflix lists its top Indian content

In a significant disclosure, Netflix revealed its previously undisclosed viewership data, shedding light on the most-watched Indian titles on the streaming platform. This revelation marks a departure from the streaming giant’s prior reluctance to disclose such figures, aimed at safeguarding competitive advantages.

But after this year’s SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, which predominantly focused on revenue sharing in the age of secretive stats, the company has unveiled figures for both films and shows on the platform.

Titled “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report”, the data encompasses more than 18,000 titles, comprising both movies and series, showcasing the total hours viewed from January to June 2023. Notably, the rankings are based on accumulated viewing hours, with longer-format content enjoying prominence.

The report showcased international hits dominating the top spots, with the first season of “The Night Agent” securing over 800 million viewing hours, followed closely by the second season of “Ginny & Georgia” with 665 million hours.

However, amongst Indian content, “Rana Naidu” emerged as the top contender, securing the 336th spot with 46 million viewing hours. Notably, foreign language titles constituted 30% of overall viewing.
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The top 10 most-watched Indian titles, spanning series, films, acquisitions, licensed content, and originals, were revealed, demonstrating a preference for acquired content over Netflix-produced originals. Notably, these titles, predominantly in Hindi, lacked regional diversity. Even “Rana Naidu”, featuring Telugu actors, was presented in the Hindi language. Furthermore, the majority of the listed titles received subpar reviews.

Rana Naidu – 46,300,00 – Overall ranking 336
Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga – 41,700,00 Overall ranking 401
Mission Majnu – 31,200,000 Overall ranking 599
Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway – 29.600,000 Overall ranking 651
Class – 27,700,000 Overall ranking 724
Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar – 27,100,00 Overall ranking 762
Shehzada – 24,800,000 Overall ranking 840
Scoop – 17,300,00 Overall ranking 1248
An Action Hero – 15,600,000 Overall ranking 1381
Gumrah – 14,700,000 Overall ranking 1437

During a press conference, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasised the company’s stance against sharing country-level data, citing concerns over revealing significant competitive intelligence. He highlighted the importance of the disclosed data, affirming its significant role in the company’s operational decisions.

The streaming service plans to update this list every six months, providing insight into evolving viewership patterns and preferences.

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