Netflix says Binge Racing takes watching shows to a whole new level
Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 8:19AM 
Netflix, whi just recently raised prices in Canada, has given rise to a new kind of fan: the Binge Racer. Accomplishing in a day what takes others weeks to achieve, Binge Racers strive to be the first to finish by speeding through an entire season within 24 hours of its release.
In total, 8.4 million members have chosen to Binge Race during their Netflix tenure, and the only thing faster than their rate of watching is the rate this behavior continues to grow. Between 2013 and 2016 the amount of launch day finishers increased more than 20 times over.
And before you assume that racers are just basement-dwelling couch potatoes, know that for these super fans, the speed of watching is an achievement to be proud of and brag about (we’re looking at you, Anastasia). TV is their passion and Binge Racing is their sport.
The flipside is that the need for instant gratification and sense of 'what's next?', which Netflix wants its users to have, can lead to dissatisfaction when dealing with other shows or programs that are serialized on a weekly basis. We've likely heard from friends or family members that say they just wait for a TV show's season to be out on Blu-Ray (or Netflix), so they can blitz through it in a bleary-eyed bacchanalia of viewing.
Add the dynamic of 'being first,' and what was once passive viewing becomes an active sport, with set targets to be met. Where's the fun in that? Below is what Netflix has to say.
“There’s a unique satisfaction that comes from being the first to finish a story -- whether it's the final page of a book or the last, climactic moments of your favorite TV show." said Brian Wright, Vice President, Original Series. “Netflix allows you to watch in a way you never could before, and there's nothing better than seeing a show engage our members and ignite a passion for viewing.”
Whether for the love of one show (five members in the US have raced through all five seasons of House of Cards the day they were released) or the love of many shows (a member in France has already raced through 30 shows this year alone), viewers are embracing this new form of fandom the world over. But exactly where Binge
Shows of all shapes, sizes, genres and formats are revving watchers engines. Sure 30-minute comedies like Master of None, GLOW and Dear White People are raced with speed, but hour-long thrillers, like Stranger Things, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, and anime, like The Seven Deadly Sins, are consumed with fervor as well.
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life garnered the most global racers in its 24 hour debut (we blame the coffee). But the top spot varies slightly by country: Fuller House reigns supreme in Ecuador, Club de Cuervos scored the no. 1 slot in Mexico, and Marvel’s The Defenders takes the cake (er, The Hand) in Korea.
While Binge Racers are watching fast in pursuit of glory across the globe, Canada clocks in with the highest percentage of 24 hour finishers (we blame the snow). Their binge of choice? None other than national treasure Trailer Park Boys.
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Top 20 Binge Raced Shows4 |
Top 20 Binge Racing Countries5 |
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METHODOLOGY
1 Binge Racers are defined as members who completed a season of a TV show within 24 hours of its release on Netflix. Data accommodates for time zones and is reflective of a show’s launch within 24 hours of a country’s release.
2 Total number of members since 2012 who have finished a season of a TV show within 24 hours of its release
3 Binge Racing behavior grew from 200,000 members in 2013 to more than 5 million in 2017 (as of September)
4Top shows were identified as those with the largest number of Binge Racers globally. Binge Racing ranking has no relation to overall viewership.
5Top countries were identified as those with the highest percentage of members who are Binge Racers. Binge Race ranking has no relation to overall country membership.
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