Netflix won't give up on its binge-release model anytime soon

As all streaming services barrel toward collectively creating cable television once again, Netflix remains firm in its hallmark binge-release model for series, which continues to differentiate it from other services. As they celebrate an increase in subscribers for the first time this year, the folks over at Netflix now don’t seem in a rush to reinvent the wheel.

“We think our bingeable release model helps drive substantial engagement, especially for newer titles,” Netflix executives say in its Q3 shareholder letter on Tuesday, per Variety. “This enables viewers to lose themselves in stories they love.”

The company points to the recent viral success of Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, comparing its Google searches to other major ongoing series such as HBO’s House Of The Dragon and Amazon’s Rings Of Power, both of which release episodically.

“It’s hard to imagine, for example, how a Korean title like Squid Game would have become a mega hit globally without the momentum that came from people being able to binge it,” Netflix said in the letter. “We believe the ability for our members to immerse themselves in a story from start to finish increases their enjoyment but also their likelihood to tell their friends, which then means more people watch, join and stay with Netflix.”

However, Netflix has toyed with alternative strategies, as they released recent seasons of Stranger Things and Ozark in two parts to lengthen viewer engagement. The company also once said it would never implement tiered subscriptions with ads, but here we are.

All of this hearkens to the question: Is it better to burn brightly for one brief moment in time, or keep a dimmer flame burning longer? Furthermore, is it better to make droves of terrible, exploitative content in the hopes that one will create a self-contained viral moment, or series that are actually… good?