Netflix is all-in on binge-watching

As the various streaming services try different release models, Netflix is making one thing clear: binge releases aren’t going away. In its quarterly earnings statement today, the company explained that “we think our bingeable release model helps drive substantial engagement, especially for newer titles.” It cited the success of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story as an example, saying that the all-at-once release “helped drive significant interest in the show.”

In fact, Netflix went so far as to say the release model was a big reason for the success of one of its biggest hits to date. “It’s hard to imagine, for example, how a Korean title like Squid Game would have become a mega hit globally without the momentum that came from people being able to binge it,” Netflix said in a letter to shareholders. “We believe the ability for our members to immerse themselves in a story from start to finish increases their enjoyment but also their likelihood to tell their friends, which then means more people watch, join, and stay with Netflix.”

The statements come at a time when Netflix’s biggest competitors, including Disney Plus, Amazon, and HBO, have primarily stuck with a more traditional weekly release schedule for big streaming series. Netflix, meanwhile, has been more experimental; the upcoming series Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, for instance, will release its eight episodes over the course of four days starting on October 25th, while Stranger Things 4 was split into two chunks released weeks apart.