On Thursday, Netflix triumphantly announced that season 1 of the ex-Lifetime original series You was “on track to be viewed by more than 40 million members in its first four weeks” at its new home. The company also made a similar claim about the recently released British comedy series Sex Education. But how many people are actually watching You on Netflix? Is it even possible to know?
How many people are actually watching You on Netflix?
In the original tweet, the company said Netflix’s You season 1 would hit the 40 million views mark by the end of its first four weeks in the catalog. Sex Education, meanwhile, was also “on pace to be watched by over 40 million accounts over its first month.” You was added to Netflix on Dec. 26, three months after it initially premiered on Lifetime, which canceled the show after it only mustered 611,000 in same-daying ratings. Netflix, meanwhile, has renewed the creepy thriller for a second season.
Joe isn’t the only one watching: @YouNetflix is on track to be viewed by more than 40 million members in its first four weeks on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/W4jZ3nYTdQ
— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) January 17, 2019
Sex Education, on the other hand, only just premiered on Jan. 11. What this means is Netflix, by means known only to its internal practices, is extrapolating the “40 million” figures from subscribers’ viewing practices as they relate to these two series. And since the streaming giant doesn’t make its viewing numbers public (unless it’s touting the success of its shows and films), and third-party groups like Nielsen aren’t privy to such information, it’s impossible to know if these claims are valid.
#SexEducation has come out with a bang — the smart and emotional series is on pace to be watched by over 40 million accounts over its first month pic.twitter.com/TAsklhTSQH
— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) January 17, 2019
How many people are actually watching You on Netflix?
Whenever an original series or movie presumably does poorly with subscribers, Netflix generally pulls the plug on potential followup seasons or sequels without warning. (That, or in the case of the Marvel shows canceled so far, the streamer may be preparing for future competition, like with the Disney+ streaming service.) Though all of this is mere guesswork because Netflix doesn’t release its internal viewing figures to critics, industry professionals or audiences. We literally have no idea who watches what.
Then again, as The Hollywood Reporter points out, the above tweets weren’t the original sources of the “40 million” numbers. That honor belongs to Netflix’s quarterly earnings report, which the company made available to shareholders and other relevant parties on Thursday. In other words, these claims — along with similar touts about Bird Box’s viewing numbers — are based solely on business reports meant to prop up the performance of original and newly acquired content.
So for all we know, Sex Education, Bird Box and You on Netflix hasn’t been — and won’t be — watched by nearly 40 million people.
