Netflix Produced A Record 1,024 Original Television Episodes This Quarter

Topline

Netflix released a 1,024 episodes of original television content in the third quarter of 2022 alone according to a new report, a new record for the platform and more than five times that of any other streaming service according to a report released Tuesday by research firm MoffettNathanson and first reported by Variety.

Key Facts

Netflix unveiled 159 original series from July through September that are exclusive to the platform, and surpassed its previous record set in the fourth quarter of 2021, when the streamer premiered 143 new shows and almost 900 episodes.

No other streamer came close to matching Netflix’s original content, according to the report, with Amazon Prime Video offering 223 episodes, Hulu premiering 194, Disney+ debuting 140 episodes and HBO Max 114.

While Netflix stepped up its original offerings this quarter, competitors either remained roughly stagnant compared to previous year or even slowed down when it came producing new and exclusive content, like HBO Max, which the report noted premiered significantly less than content than usual (The streamer’s new owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, is looking to cut costs, according to Variety).

Chief among Netflix’s top new television titles is Dahmer, which explores the life and crimes of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer that this week became the streamer’s second most popular English-language original series ever, after the record-breaking Stranger Things.

Tangent

Established streamers have “hit maturity” in American households, MoffettNathanson wrote in the report, and instead of trying to attract customers who are new to streaming, platforms are using exclusive content to retain and attract subscribers “already within the streaming ecosystem.” In July, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the company is pursuing a “something for everyone” strategy by producing a wide variety of shows and films to suit audience tastes.

Key Background

Despite the encouraging figures, Netflix has had a rough year, with stocks plunging in August after the streamer disclosed it lost subscribers for the second quarter in a row, and later held several rounds of layoffs. In July streaming services captured a record 34.8% of all television views according to Nielsen. It marked the first time that streaming surpassed cable since Nielsen began tracking streaming viewership. Netflix captured 8% of all streams, the highest of any streamer, according to Nielsen.

Further Reading

Netflix Released Record-Breaking 1,024 Original TV Episodes in Q3 — More Than Five Times Any Other Service (Variety)

Streaming Viewership Surpasses Cable For First Time, Nielsen Says (Forbes)