Our childhood is a testament that teasing is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. That is exactly what Ted Sarandos has done. Netflix’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, recently shared some impressive streaming numbers. The company’s latest “Engagement Report” revealed that Netflix users streamed a staggering 94 billion hours of content in the first half of 2024.
This is slightly higher than last year’s 93 billion hours. Sarandos talked about the platform’s transparency and also teased that other streaming services like Amazon’s Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+ should follow suit. It is very clear that they are not going to do that. These other platforms would bring ads and curb password-sharing but not learn transparency from Netflix.
Why?
Because the numbers may come out to be embarrassing in front of Netflix. Perhaps that’s the reason Ted Sarandos is teasing them in the first place.
Other platforms are reluctant to release such extensive data. Many opt to highlight specific successful shows rather than give an overall view of their platform’s engagement. For example, Amazon boasted that its “Fallout” series reached 65 million viewers in its first 16 days.
Although Netflix’s reports are self-published and not verified by third parties, independent Nielsen data consistently shows Netflix dominates the streaming market, with at least twice the U.S. viewing share of its closest rival, Prime Video. In August 2024, Netflix remained the leader, even with a 39% lift for NBC’s Peacock due to the Paris Olympics.
But why did Netflix stop sharing quarterly earnings? Mr CEO would not have liked that question while talking transparency.