Ampere Analysis has quantified what we've long observed -- older seasons of Netflix series typically receive a huge catchup boost when new seasons drop.
The British research company looked at Netflix's two massive 2023 ratings data drops, specifically examining older seasons of shows that had new episodes drop in the second half of 2023.
On average, viewership for these shows increased by 86% in the second half of the year vs. the first half.
French crime thriller Lupin had the biggest viewership bump, Ampere said, claiming 165 million viewing hours in H2 for seasons 1 and 2, following the Oct. 5 drop of season 3. In H1, those first two seasons of Lupin only generated 33 million viewing hours.
For Netflix series that didn't have a fresh season drop in 2023, audience engagement dropped by 46% vs. 2022.
The phenomenon seems to apply mainly just to scripted series, with unscripted shows only receiving a 7% boost from the debut of new seasons.
“Although new releases draw the largest viewership for Netflix, continuing series also reignite interest in older content from existing and new fans," said Joe Hall, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis, in a statement. "With streaming business models increasingly focused on ad-supported tiers, viewing volumes are crucial for attracting advertisers and generating ad revenue. This makes returning series an attractive prospect to these companies, as they can help sustain engagement for older seasons long after release.”
