Analyst: Netflix Viewership Data is Not a ‘Secret Sauce’ to Success

We’ve heard the story hundreds of times, that Netflix focuses all decisions it makes regarding original content around massive observation and analysis of data. These numbers point Netflix in the proper direction when it comes to picking hit shows to add to their original series list.

But an analyst at Morgan Stanley thinks this narrative doesn’t fit accurately, and that Netflix doesn’t have any particular advantage with their internal data. “Netflix is like any other network, with hits and misses, and we do not expect its data advantage to provide it with a better batting average.” (h/t Business Insider)

Interestingly, we have certainly seen what feels like a high ration of successes when it comes to original programming on Netflix. Shows like the recently released ‘Narcos’ and ‘Daredevil’ have been both critical and commercial darlings, alongside the long-timers ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Orange is the New Black’ have been huge wins for the service. Certainly these titles would certainly make any network proud of both the viewership and critical reception. It is of course a bit tougher to determine exact viewership numbers for Netflix originals, as the service is particularly cagey about their metrics.

Our analysis is that it’s just too early to call Netflix “Midas” when it comes to original shows and movies but the trending data thus far has certainly been positive for the service. But even with this in mind, there are still a few duds, once again, both commercially and critically. Take a look at the Rotten Tomatoes’ rankings below for Netflix original shows:

We will be running deeper reporting into the success of Netflix originals when compared to their network counterparts, and while we’re at it will run similar comparisons to other subscription services such as HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime and more. Keep an eye out for a full report later this month.