There is without a doubt that
Netflix, likely the first word that comes to mind when talking about digital
online media streaming, is one of the biggest such platforms in the world
today. Not even the removal of certain content from their library to be transferred
to other label-exclusive streaming services has diminished their position,
thanks to their massive output of original productions. Yet amazingly, the hype
concerning their massive streaming viewership is not always accompanied by hard
figures. And when some stats are given, they tend to be inflated such as the
viewer count for Netflix’s “The Witcher” series.
The Verge reports that Netflix is working on providing new
statistics keeping for the benefit and convenience of their streaming
subscribers. This is in the form of a revamped Top 10 media list that appears
on their homepage that will get regular updates based on trends. The streaming
giant announced this plan on a recent blog post, explaining that the Top 10
streaming media ranking will be influenced by several factors including what
country the subscriber is located in, as well as any interests they might have
listed in their account profiles. The lists also come in particular content categories.
Initial testing of putting a Top
10 list on the Netflix interface was done last year in the US and Mexico. The
ranking algorithms also consider both licensed properties and Netflix originals
for listing, the better for subscribers to get a feel for what fellow viewers
within their own country tend to watch in comparison to their own likes. To
draw better attention to this media listing, the Top 10 row will have a
distinct design from the other library listings on the Netflix page.
From a more cynical viewpoint,
the implementation of a Top 10 streaming media for Netflix users comes across
and more fronting for the online platform especially for its original content.
This might be gleaned from a 2019 year-end listing for their top hit movies and
TV shows that were streamed. All but one of those listed were Netflix original
productions (the lone exception being Disney-Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” which will
be leaving the platform eventually anyway). But as Netflix spokesperson Reed
Hastings mentioned last year when the US-Mexico Top 10 list was being tested, “For
those who want to watch what others are watching, this may make choosing titles
even easier.”
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