An analysis of a basket of shows debuting on Netflix in the first half of 2023 has found that older seasons of the show saw an increase of 86% in viewing hours on H1 2023.
Ampere Analysis, which conducted the research, said titles without a new season saw a natural viewing decline of 46% over the same period.
In 2023 new releases on the streaming platform accounted for over one quarter (26%) of TV season viewing hours that year. However, new seasons also add value to older seasons by attracting first-time viewers and encouraging repeat viewing from existing fans
Original French Crime & Thriller series Lupin – which released Part 3 in October 2023 – saw the most significant increase. Viewing hours for Part 1 and Part 2 soared from 33 million in H1 2023 to 165 million in H2 2023, a five-fold increase.
Scripted series were the main beneficiaries of this trend with the average returning series saw past seasons’ viewing hours double in the second half of the year. In contrast, unscripted series saw a 7% decline in viewing compared to H1 2023. This is relative to a baseline fall in viewing for unscripted shows with no 2023 release of 63% in H2 compared to H1.
So while new releases within unscripted may not give the same kind of boost enjoyed by their scripted counterparts.
“Although new releases draw the largest viewership for Netflix, continuing series also reignite interest in older content from existing and new fans,” said Joe Hall, Senior Analyst at Ampere Analysis. “With streaming business models increasingly focused on ad-supported tiers, viewing volumes are crucial for attracting advertisers and generating ad revenue. This makes returning series an attractive prospect to these companies, as they can help sustain engagement for older seasons long after release.”
The boost from new releases also extends to related titles. Animated series One Piece saw a viewing uplift of 67% in H2 2023 with the release of Netflix’s live-action series of the same name. Squid Game recorded a 32% increase for H2 2023 with the release of the Reality spin-off Squid Game: The Challenge.
