Netflix Reportedly Could Move Away From Its Binge Release System

Netflix has enjoyed a long reign as the king of streaming for quite some time, but of late, with the advent of new streaming services like HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime to mention a few, the fight to hold on to the crown has since grown tougher. As the streaming service looks to retain their number one spot, several changes are being made to ensure it, one of which is reported to be the possibility of embracing a week-to-week release for their shows going forward.

Following reports that between April and July alone, Netflix lost a million subscribers, the biggest in the firm’s history plus the influx of new and original content readily available on other streaming services, a lot of conversations are being had as to how Netflix can continue to stay ahead. The confirmation of a cheaper, ad-supported plan to begin in November as well as the cancellation of poorly reviewed series like Resident Evil and Cowboy Beebop are some of the new systems put in place to ensure they remain on top.

In a new edition of the Puck News newsletter, it is suggested that Netflix should move away from the binge release system for their original shows so as to get viewers engaged over a longer period of time. In the newsletter, Mathew Belloni noted that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings “has seemed unwilling to pivot off the binge model because he hasn’t needed or wanted to. Now it appears he does.”

Noting that it’s all just a conversation as to whether the binge model is still best at this point, adopting the more traditional weekly release used by its competitors as opposed to the binge system would offer several benefits; allowing viewership to grow as the season progresses, viewers not having to worry about spoilers as well as having subscribes return to the service on a weekly bases to mention but a few.