Welcome along to another top 10 report where we take a look at the biggest stories from the past week in the Netflix top 10s and check in to see how other shows and movies are performing. This week, we’ll be covering KPop Demon Hunters closing in on Red Notice, two movie disappointments in Fixed and Night Always Comes, plus titles like Love is Blind: UK, In The Mud, Young Millionaires, Wednesday season 2, and Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser.
Just a quick note too. We’ve done a bunch of changes to our top 10 search page to make things look a bit nicer, and we’ve also gone back and added views metrics to all titles (where we can), pre-June 2023, which is before Netflix adopted the metric Frederic of Netflix N Chiffres pioneered.
The project was nearly never completed, with multiple stakeholders nearly pulling the plug at multiple stages. Thankfully, Fixed did get made and jumped to Netflix, but how did it open? Not great.
Now sadly, there aren’t many good comps we can do for Fixed as animated films don’t often get released on Wednesdays except for the occasional short (like Robin Robin or Sing: Thriller) and The Soccer Football Movie from three years ago. Therefore, the only comps we can really do are animated films that were released on Fridays. So, with the caveat that Fixed had a lot longer to gain viewership than the others on this list, we can see that Fixed is really struggling.
R-rated animated comedies aren’t really a thing, and given the performance thus far, tragically, it doesn’t look like it’s something Netflix will explore much more of.
Netflix Viewership Comparison - Plankton: The Movie, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, KPop Demon Hunters, Spellbound, Thelma the Unicorn and 2 more Netflix titles (1-week analysis)
Cumulative views over 1 weeks for 7 Netflix titles: Plankton: The Movie, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, KPop Demon Hunters, Spellbound, Thelma the Unicorn, Ultraman: Rising, Fixed. Combined total: 59,200,000 views.
Netflix cumulative views ranking for Plankton: The Movie, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, KPop Demon Hunters, Spellbound, Thelma the Unicorn and 2 more Netflix titles over 1 weeks.
Title
Opening Week Views
Rank
Plankton: The Movie
14,300,000
1
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
12,800,000
2
KPop Demon Hunters
9,200,000
3
Spellbound
8,500,000
4
Thelma the Unicorn
7,300,000
5
Ultraman: Rising
4,400,000
6
Fixed
2,700,000
7
2. Night Always Comes
Another movie that struggled in week 1 was Night Always Comes with Vanessa Kirby. Despite the actress front and center throughout the summer with Fantastic 4, this small drama failed to get much traction, which could be down to the fact that the movie really didn’t connect with critics, and that’s translated into just 11.3M views for its opening 3 days. The movie was pitched as a prestige movie and it’s certainly performing that way thus far.
Netflix Viewership Comparison - Leave the World Behind, The Union, Rebel Ridge, Havoc, The Killer and 8 more Netflix titles (1-week analysis)
Cumulative views over 1 weeks for 13 Netflix titles: Leave the World Behind, The Union, Rebel Ridge, Havoc, The Killer, Don't Move, The Deliverance, The Six Triple Eight, Pain Hustlers, Fair Play, Night Always Comes, Woman of the Hour, NYAD. Combined total: 265,300,000 views.
Netflix cumulative views ranking for Leave the World Behind, The Union, Rebel Ridge, Havoc, The Killer and 8 more Netflix titles over 1 weeks.
Title
Opening Week Views
Rank
Leave the World Behind
41,700,000
1
The Union
33,100,000
2
Rebel Ridge
31,200,000
3
Havoc
29,800,000
4
The Killer
27,900,000
5
Don't Move
20,200,000
6
The Deliverance
14,500,000
7
The Six Triple Eight
14,300,000
8
Pain Hustlers
14,100,000
9
Fair Play
12,600,000
10
Night Always Comes
11,300,000
11
Woman of the Hour
9,900,000
12
NYAD
4,700,000
13
3. KPop Demon Hunters Will Become #1 Next Week
We’ve been pretty obsessed with the numbers of KPop Demon Hunters, and as it approaches the finish line of becoming Netflix’s most-watched movie and removes the much-maligned Red Notice from the top spot, let’s check in with how well it’s doing in week 9.
That means the movie has 20.4 million views still to go to topple Red Notice, sitting at 230.9M views after 91 days. These numbers reflect day 58, so that means we’ve still got 33 days to go. Incredible. The question is not whether it’ll topple Red Notice, but by how much it’ll surpass it, and whether this number will ever be achievable by another movie in the future.
Netflix Cumulative Views Over Time - KPop Demon Hunters, Carry-On and Red Notice (12-week trend)
Week-by-week cumulative views for 3 Netflix titles: KPop Demon Hunters, Carry-On, Red Notice. Combined final total: 682,700,000 views.
Weekly cumulative Netflix views for KPop Demon Hunters, Carry-On and Red Notice over 12 weeks.
Title
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Final cumulative
KPop Demon Hunters
0
9,200,000
33,400,000
56,100,000
80,300,000
106,100,000
132,400,000
158,700,000
184,600,000
210,600,000
236,000,000
266,100,000
291,500,000
291,500,000
Carry-On
0
42,000,000
97,100,000
132,000,000
149,400,000
156,600,000
160,200,000
162,900,000
165,000,000
—
—
—
—
165,000,000
Red Notice
0
75,600,000
141,200,000
167,000,000
179,900,000
189,100,000
195,600,000
201,800,000
209,200,000
214,800,000
219,200,000
222,900,000
226,200,000
226,200,000
How far will it go? Predictions seem pretty difficult given that this movie is defying any conventional Netflix movie trajectory, BUT, here are the potential projections:
Scenario
Projected Views for Day 91
Latest (Week 9)
210.6M
0% Weekly Decline
329.5M
5% Weekly Decline
313.7M
20% Weekly Decline
276.9M
30% Weekly Decline
259.2M
Tapered Decay
303.2M
4. Wednesday S2 in Week 2
While season 2 debuted almost on par with season 1 in its opening week, it hasn’t maintained the same momentum into week 2, now trailing the first season by 31.3M views.
That said, Wednesday season 2 is expected to get a significant boost in September with the arrival of its next batch of episodes. At that point, direct 1:1 comparisons with season 1 will become tricky, but for now, it’s clear that season 2 won’t be cruising toward the top spot in Netflix’s all-time top 10.
Netflix Cumulative Views Over Time - Wednesday - Season 1 and Wednesday - Season 2 (6-week trend)
Week-by-week cumulative views for 2 Netflix titles: Wednesday - Season 1, Wednesday - Season 2. Combined final total: 352,300,000 views.
Weekly cumulative Netflix views for Wednesday - Season 1 and Wednesday - Season 2 over 6 weeks.
Title
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Final cumulative
Wednesday - Season 1
0
50,100,000
110,400,000
150,000,000
175,500,000
192,900,000
208,200,000
208,200,000
Wednesday - Season 2
0
50,000,000
79,100,000
92,500,000
100,900,000
129,100,000
144,100,000
144,100,000
5. Love is Blind: UK Returns…
We’ve seen a trend of reality dating shows in recent months and even years, with their audience growing season after season. That’s not the case with Love is Blind: UK, which debuts with a million views lower than season 1. The future of the show is secure, though, but if it continues to fall away at this pace, it certainly won’t reach the number of seasons its US counterpart has reached.
Cumulative views over 1 weeks for 0 Netflix titles: . Combined total: 0 views.
Netflix cumulative views ranking for Netflix titles over 1 weeks.
Title
Opening Week Views
Rank
6. In The Mud
The new Argentinian series In The Mud topped the non-English TV charts for the week with 5.6M views, which leads it to have a pretty solid opening when compared to other non-English Thursday debuts but not in the elite tier.
Netflix Viewership Comparison - La Palma, 1899, The Empress - Season 1, Yu Yu Hakusho, The Signal and 6 more Netflix titles (1-week analysis)
Cumulative views over 1 weeks for 11 Netflix titles: La Palma, 1899, The Empress - Season 1, Yu Yu Hakusho, The Signal, Detective Forst, Sleeping Dog, House of Ninjas, Thursday's Widows, Back to 15 - Season 2, Eva Lasting - Season 2. Combined total: 64,600,000 views.
Netflix cumulative views ranking for La Palma, 1899, The Empress - Season 1, Yu Yu Hakusho, The Signal and 6 more Netflix titles over 1 weeks.
Title
Opening Week Views
Rank
La Palma
13,100,000
1
1899
10,800,000
2
The Empress - Season 1
8,300,000
3
Yu Yu Hakusho
7,700,000
4
The Signal
4,900,000
5
Detective Forst
4,800,000
6
Sleeping Dog
4,400,000
7
House of Ninjas
4,200,000
8
Thursday's Widows
3,500,000
9
Back to 15 - Season 2
2,000,000
10
Eva Lasting - Season 2
900,000
11
7. Young Millionaires
A new French series dropped last week, and it’s doing OK. While there aren’t too many comparisons given that Netflix France mainly releases its biggest hits on Fridays, it’s so far ahead of Class Act but behind Under A Dark Sun, Blood Coast, and Anthracite. Not an instant candidate for renewal.
Netflix Viewership Comparison - Under a Dark Sun - Season 1, Blood Coast - Season 1, Anthracite, Young Millionaires and Class Act (1-week analysis)
Cumulative views over 1 weeks for 5 Netflix titles: Under a Dark Sun - Season 1, Blood Coast - Season 1, Anthracite, Young Millionaires, Class Act. Combined total: 20,500,000 views.
Netflix cumulative views ranking for Under a Dark Sun - Season 1, Blood Coast - Season 1, Anthracite, Young Millionaires and Class Act over 1 weeks.
Title
Opening Week Views
Rank
Under a Dark Sun - Season 1
5,800,000
1
Blood Coast - Season 1
5,600,000
2
Anthracite
4,200,000
3
Young Millionaires
3,500,000
4
Class Act
1,400,000
5
8. Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser Is a Docu-Series Win
Not for the first time today, I find it hard to do suitable comps given that docu-series aren’t usually released on Fridays, but that was granted to Fit for TV, which has captured plenty of headlines over the weekend and into this week, which has given it a very high opening.
Netflix Viewership Comparison - Ashley Madison: Sex Lies and Scandal, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, Worst Roommate Ever - Season 2, Formula 1: Drive to Survive - Season 7, Investigation Alien - Season 1 and 1 more Netflix title (1-week analysis)
Cumulative views over 1 weeks for 6 Netflix titles: Ashley Madison: Sex Lies and Scandal, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, Worst Roommate Ever - Season 2, Formula 1: Drive to Survive - Season 7, Investigation Alien - Season 1, Spy Ops. Combined total: 29,200,000 views.
Netflix cumulative views ranking for Ashley Madison: Sex Lies and Scandal, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, Worst Roommate Ever - Season 2, Formula 1: Drive to Survive - Season 7, Investigation Alien - Season 1 and 1 more Netflix title over 1 weeks.
Title
Opening Week Views
Rank
Ashley Madison: Sex Lies and Scandal
9,500,000
1
Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser
7,500,000
2
Worst Roommate Ever - Season 2
5,700,000
3
Formula 1: Drive to Survive - Season 7
2,600,000
4
Investigation Alien - Season 1
2,000,000
5
Spy Ops
1,900,000
6
9. A Few Check-Ins…
To round out, I wanted to check in with a few titles such as UNTAMED, which was given a very swift renewal, and while it did debut ahead of Adolescence, it has lost ground on that front in the weeks that followed. That said, it’s still one of the best performing “limited series” over the past year or so, beating Zero Day and American Primeval.
Netflix Cumulative Views Over Time - Untamed, American Primeval, Zero Day and Adolescence (7-week trend)
Week-by-week cumulative views for 4 Netflix titles: Untamed, American Primeval, Zero Day, Adolescence. Combined final total: 222,700,000 views.
Weekly cumulative Netflix views for Untamed, American Primeval, Zero Day and Adolescence over 7 weeks.
Title
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Final cumulative
Untamed
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
0
American Primeval
0
10,400,000
24,700,000
31,400,000
35,100,000
—
—
—
35,100,000
Zero Day
0
19,100,000
37,000,000
44,500,000
48,900,000
51,900,000
53,600,000
—
53,600,000
Adolescence
0
24,300,000
66,300,000
96,700,000
114,500,000
124,200,000
130,200,000
134,000,000
134,000,000
This will probably be the last check-in we’ll ever do for Squid Game (until the US spin-off comes along anyway), and we can see just how the trajectories have played out for all three seasons, with season 3 ultimately losing some viewership on season 2 (I still haven’t seen it all!).
Netflix Cumulative Views Over Time - Squid Game - Season 1, Squid Game - Season 2 and Squid Game - Season 3 (10-week trend)
Week-by-week cumulative views for 3 Netflix titles: Squid Game - Season 1, Squid Game - Season 2, Squid Game - Season 3. Combined final total: 587,300,000 views.
Weekly cumulative Netflix views for Squid Game - Season 1, Squid Game - Season 2 and Squid Game - Season 3 over 10 weeks.
Title
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Final cumulative
Squid Game - Season 1
0
7,600,000
61,600,000
130,300,000
180,000,000
211,100,000
228,800,000
239,600,000
247,400,000
252,500,000
256,200,000
256,200,000
Squid Game - Season 2
0
68,000,000
126,200,000
152,500,000
165,700,000
173,600,000
178,800,000
182,400,000
185,100,000
187,200,000
188,700,000
188,700,000
Squid Game - Season 3
0
60,100,000
106,400,000
122,300,000
130,100,000
134,700,000
137,600,000
139,600,000
141,200,000
142,400,000
—
142,400,000
Will Happy Gilmore 2 be getting in the all-time top 10? It’s got to beat Millie Bobby Brown in Damsel to claim that victory, and it’s tracking very, very close, but is beginning to show signs that it’s slowing much faster, so it might be out of reach.
Netflix Cumulative Views Over Time - Happy Gilmore 2 and Damsel (6-week trend)
Week-by-week cumulative views for 2 Netflix titles: Happy Gilmore 2, Damsel. Combined final total: 237,000,000 views.
Weekly cumulative Netflix views for Happy Gilmore 2 and Damsel over 6 weeks.
Title
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Final cumulative
Happy Gilmore 2
0
46,700,000
87,500,000
102,200,000
109,200,000
113,700,000
—
113,700,000
Damsel
0
35,300,000
86,100,000
105,600,000
115,900,000
120,800,000
123,300,000
123,300,000
Those are our big top 10 stories for this week – what did we miss? Let us know in the comments.