NBC has often been tight-lipped with regards to the ratings of its shows on Netflix, but on Wednesday, NBC Universal's Alan Wurtzel lifted the lid and gave a group of reporters a whiff of the viewership of various shows from the popular streaming service.
Based on data from a sample of 15,000 users by Symphony Advanced Media, a company that uses audio content recognition to trace cross-platform programing, Netflix's most popular shows from September to December were "Jessica Jones," "Master of None" and "Narcos," according to Mashable.
An average of 4.8 million viewers in the 18 to 49 age group tuned in to the Marvel drama, followed by "Masters of None" with 3.9 million viewers and "Narcos" received 3.2 million viewers in total.
Wurtzel also revealed that "Orange Is The New Black" is still averaging a total of 644,000 adults, ages18-49, after its third season premiered months ago. Netflix, he says, has a "very different business model."
"Their business model is to make you write a check next month. So not every program on Netflix is a broad appeal program," Wurtzel said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I don't believe there's enough stuff on Netflix that is broad enough and is consistent enough to affect us in a meaningful way on a regular basis."
Wurtzel added that the ratings estimates are a part of a "Netflix reality check." The main goal of releasing the figures is to provide a wide-ranging substance for the audience vs. the streaming services' original shows.
"The notion that they are replacing broadcast TV may not be quite accurate," he said, according to Variety.
