As you may have expected from all of the buzz surrounding the new Netflix original series House of Cards, it’s incredibly popular. Just how popular?
Well, according to Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, it’s the most-watched show on Netflix in every single one of their markets. Here’s what he had to say at All Things D’s Dive Into Media conference:
“We’re not doing ratings, [but] we’re thrilled with the numbers,” said Sarandos. “It’s the most watched thing on Netflix in every country we operate in.”
Sarandos went on to confirm that “most-watched” means both in number of total hours watched as well as number of total people watching.
Sarandos said that we should expect a time when great original series premiering on Netflix isn’t really “news” anymore:
“I think the 13 episodes at the same time, the fact that it was on Netflix, the fact that we premiered something on Netflix, the fact that we did something we’ve never done before – we created an international content brand on Netflix. So this was a news story in a bunch of different ways besides the fact that the show was good.
And the show, by the way, is really great, which really helped. But I think it became and interesting news story…but over time it won’t be as novel for sure because we’re going to do a lot of these shows.”
Of course, what matters here for Netflix is if series like House of Cards can increase signups and keep people signed up.
“Engagement really matters to Netflix. The more people watch, the longer they stay, the more they tell their friends. There’s a real direct correlation with engagement and retention,” said Sarandos.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should. It’s a juicy, well-acted, gripping political thriller. And all 13 episodes are available to stream at once so you can binge. You know, if that’s your thing (and Netflix hopes that it is).