Netflix study notes rise of ‘binge viewing’

Some 61% of US adults who stream TV shows from the web admitted they “binge watch regularly,” viewing two to three episodes of a show in one sitting every few weeks, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive on behalf of Netflix.

The study, which looked at the viewing habits of nearly 1,500 TV streamers, found that 73% have “positive feelings towards binge streaming TV,” while 76% claimed that watching multiple episodes of a great TV show “is a welcome refuge from their busy lives.”

Of those polled, 76% said that streaming TV shows to their own schedule was “their preferred way” of watching programmes.

“Our viewing data shows that the majority of streamers would actually prefer to have a whole season of a show available to watch at their own pace,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer of Netflix.

“Netflix has pioneered audience choice in programming and has helped free consumers from the limitations of linear television. Our own original series are created for multi-episodic viewing, lining up the content with new norms of viewer control for the first time.”