Circa 2013. New-fangled streaming platform Netflix unleashed a brand new content strategy that caused massive disruption in the way humans consumed content. The content in question was a star-studded show called ‘House Of Cards’; and the strategy was releasing all episodes of the series at one go.
The strategy proved to be a game-changer for Netflix. A new star was born, one that is still burning bright on the streaming skyscape, overshadowing the likes of prestigious, pedigreed platforms like HBO and Disney.
And just like that, Netflix introduced the pathbreaking concept of binge-watching to an eager, accepting audience that lapped up the largesse with delight. Slowly but surely, binge-watching grew on viewers, who became so used to consuming all episodes of a show at one go that it became the accepted norm.
Cut to 2023. Ten years later, something very weird is happening behind the scenes at streaming platforms, especially in India. Streaming platforms such as Prime Video, Disney Plus Hotstar, even the homegrown ones like SonyLIV and Jio Cinema, have suddenly ditched the all-episodes-at-one-go strategy that audiences have come to love so much. Instead, every platform has switched to releasing their original shows in parts – either as one episode per week; or divided into two parts, with both parts releasing in a gap of several months, termed ‘split-season release’.
Disney Plus Hotstar began the trend in India with its one-episode-per-week release strategy for its popular show, Criminal Justice Season 3, and split-season release of The Night Manager. Disney Plus Hotstar has stuck to this strategy with dogged determination – as seen in the recent releases of The Freelancer, Aakhri Sach and Mathagam.
Prime Video followed suit with its divided-into-two-parts series, Jubilee, weekly Citadel, and more. Jio Cinema took it further, by releasing one episode daily of every series it has ever premiered.
And now, the last bastion has also crumpled under the trend – homegrown streaming platform SonyLIV. The platform recently premiered its highly anticipated show ‘Scam 2003’; and did the unexpected. It streamed only one part of Scam 2003, comprising five episodes. Part 2 of Scam 2003 is slated to premiere on SonyLIV in November, much to the chagrin of viewers.
For that matter, even Netflix, pioneer of the binge-watching trend, has taken to releasing its most popular shows in two parts – with the two parts releasing several months apart. New seasons of Stranger Things, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Witcher, You, Lucifer, Money Heist, and more, released in two parts on Netflix.
Trade pundits will argue that the staggered release strategy is good for the bottom line of streamers, as it allows them to sustain audience attention and lure in viewers with content of their interest.
But are viewers pleased?
We don’t think so.
Most OTT viewers still prefer the binge-watching model of streaming, if given a choice. A considerable number of viewers even wait for all episodes of a weekly show to release, before they begin to watch the show. Yet another sizeable number of viewers has even threatened to unsubscribe from streaming platforms that are releasing shows in parts or weekly episodes.
But all of it is falling on deaf ears.
Streaming platforms have discovered the benefits of weekly episodes or spilt season releases; and they aren’t letting go.
Going by all of the above, we can conclude that this most annoying trend is here to stay – at least for the time being.
Let’s see what the future holds – whether the binge-watching model returns with a vengeance; or gets consigned to history.
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