Netflix's 'Squid Game' has surged past 'Bridgerton' in online engagement as it paces to be the streamer's biggest show ever
- Netflix's "Squid Game" is well ahead of "Bridgerton" in online audience engagement.
- It's driven more new engagers than other Netflix originals in the past three years.
- There's also a big overlap between the "Squid Game" audience and those who engage with video games.
Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos said last week that there was a "very good chance" that the company's Korean-language series "Squid Game" could become its biggest TV series of all time. And online engagement data shows how the series has surged in word of mouth since its debut on September 17.
Audience engagement has soared for "Squid Game" following its premiere and is well ahead of "Bridgerton" at the same point after its debut, according to the analytics company Diesel Labs. The company pulls engagement data from from social and video platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, which reflects posts, comments, and more across the platforms to gauge the level of engagement with a piece of content.
"Bridgerton" is currently Netflix's most watched series ever with 82 million households having watched it in its first 28 days (Netflix counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a show or movie).
The chart below illustrates how far ahead "Squid Game" is in online buzz over "Bridgerton."
"Squid Game" has driven the most new engagers to a Netflix title of any Netflix series over the last three years, with an engaged audience increase of 1.4%, according to Diesel Labs' analysis. That's based on social-engagement data, but could correlate with an increase in viewership or subscribers.
There's also a big overlap between the "Squid Game" audience and those who engage with video games, Diesel Labs said.
That's notable considering Netflix is preparing to launch mobile video games on its service in the near future, which will be included in users' membership along with its movies and shows. The streaming giant is currently testing mobile games in Poland, is hiring for a slew of gaming jobs, and recently purchased the game studio Night School Studio.
"Squid Game" is the latest non-English-language hit for Netflix following similar breakouts like the Spanish series "Money Heist" and the French series "Lupin," as the company invests heavily in international content. Netflix said in February that it planned to spend $500 million this year on movies and shows produced in South Korea.
"Squid Game" has also been a hit with critics and has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes critic score. Time Magazine's Judy Berman wrote that it's a "twisty, fast-paced, action-packed show whose episodes end in killer cliffhangers - in other words, the ultimate binge bait."