To help viewers pick what to watch next, Netflix might put up "Top 10" lists of movies and shows on a weekly basis.
The feature is currently in testing for Netflix subscribers living in the UK. It will allow them to see which TV series and movies are most streamed each week. Each genre or category will get its own top 10 list, so a person looking for the most popular romantic-comedies on the service will be able to access a ranking specifically for that, the same way a documentary junkie will see the most-watched nonfiction content of the week.
Netflix Adding Top 10 Lists
This isn't unprecedented. Netflix currently has a section called "Popular on Netflix" inside the service, only they're not ranked in a specified order. Putting up top 10 lists is a way to streamline content for those who are constantly itching to pick something good to binge. It could also pave the way for viewers to check out other categories they wouldn't necessarily venture into and find out the 10 most popular content in that genre.
"For those who want to watch what others are watching, this may make choosing titles even easier," wrote CEO Reed Hastings in a letter to investors, as The Verge reports. Netflix says it will launch the test later this quarter. By that point it will have reached a decision whether to expand it to other countries or not.
Netflix And Viewership Numbers
It's a small but crucial move on Netflix's part, which has always been highly secretive about who's watching what, and how many are watching certain content. It's also been very reluctant about sharing concrete streaming metrics, which is why it's hard to gauge the popularity of certain shows. Even the number of people watching Stranger Things, perhaps the most buzzed-about Netflix Original, hasn't been disclosed.
Netflix still won't share specific streaming viewership numbers, of course. But a top 10 list is still a pretty revealing metric, and more than people have ever had to go on before in gauging what content is most popular on the service. Not that popularity is synonymous with quality, of course. Besides, Netflix's algorithm is pretty good — most of the time — at guessing what a viewer might like based on past habits. So, it's not like someone needs a ranking to pick out something worthy to watch.
Again, top 10 lists aren't rolling out for everybody just yet. Make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more.
