Here are the Netflix and Amazon TV shows that have gotten the best buzz over the last few years
Both snagged a pair of Golden Globes on Sunday, Netflix for its royal drama "The Crown," and Amazon for Billy Bob Thorton's performance in "Goliath" and Casey Affleck's in "Manchester by the Sea."
But awards aren't everything.
Beyond pure popularity, there's also something to be said for being able to capture the cultural conversation more broadly. There is no perfect measurement of this, but one good proxy is the "Certified Fresh" section in reviews-aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. To be considered "Certified Fresh," a show must have over a 75% positive rating on the site, and have 20 or more critic reviews (including five from "top critics").
So how do Netflix and Amazon stack up? Netflix is the clear winner, producing 22 "Certified Fresh" shows to Amazon's 6. This makes sense given the sheer amount of original content it is producing (1,000 hours in 2017!). But it also shows that Amazon shows, while they have done well in awards, haven't gotten into the public imagination in the way Netflix's have. For instance, the second season of Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle" scored a Golden Globe for best comedy series last year, while not even getting enough reviews to qualify it as "Certified Fresh" (its Rotten Tomatoes critic rating was 82%).
Last month at the UBS media conference, Netflix's content chief, Ted Sarandos, took a small jab at the disconnect. Though Amazon is spending a lot of money on shows and movies, "if you look at the buzz it doesn't appear they are gaining much traction," he said. "But maybe it sells Prime memberships."
Perhaps Amazon can cut through that with "The Grand Tour," its a new show by Jeremy Clarkson and the "Top Gear" crew, which cost Amazon a reported $250 million. The show appears to have been a success so far, getting Amazon's biggest premiere audience to date, and becoming the most illegally downloaded show in history.
Here's the full count of "Certified Fresh" shows that Amazon and Netflix have had each year since 2014, provided by Rotten Tomatoes: