Netflix arrived into Ireland in 2012, making the traditional TV schedule less relevant than ever before.
The company's premise was very simple from the outset. A Netflix subscription allowed viewers to watch what they wanted, when they wanted and for however long they wanted. It was one of the first 'on-demand' services to really take off in Ireland.
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With millions of members and more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies in their online library, Netflix has analysed what people watch and when. It's safe to say it looks rather different to a page in the RTE Guide.
The company looked at user behaviour from 77 million accounts across six months. It shows that we like a laugh in the morning, drama at lunch, a thrill before bed, a chuckle before we sleep and to learn during the night.
Viewers are 34% more likely to watch a comedy at around 6 am than any other time of the day. 47% of us seek a bit of escapism come lunchtime, with the data showing a spike in the number of people watching drama such as Orange is the New Black between 12 and 2 pm.
Control
Netflix has gone on to produce original content in recent years such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Making A Murderer. This has contributed to a shift in how users watch TV series. The company often uploads all episodes of an original series at the one time, meaning users can control how many episodes they watch in one sitting.
“For years our lives had to fit around the television, now it’s the other way around,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content. “We’ve given consumers control and it’s interesting to see the behaviours that emerge when viewers aren’t tied to a schedule. And even more so to see that these routines are replicated by millions the world over.”
House of Cards is set to return for its fifth series on May 30th.
