New Netflix research shows there's a pattern to which TV shows and movies people watch back-to-back
If you do, you're not alone, according to new research by Netflix.
The company says that 59% of Netflix users take a pause, usually of about three days, before getting into a new show. And in analyzing that behavior, Netflix found that instead of simply taking a break from the service altogether, users filled that gap with movies (61%).
These movies aren't random, Netflix found. They saw patterns - specific pairings of TV shows and movies.
"After watching 'House of Cards,' some members moved to 'Beasts of No Nation,' swapping politics for war, but keeping a narrative deft with uncompromising and ruthless leaders," the company wrote in a blog post. "'Key West' and 'Boston' may not seem an obvious pair, but stories that unearthed deeply buried secrets took members from the balmy coast of 'Bloodline' to the chilling streets of 'Spotlight.' Vince Gilligan's cinematic nod to Tarantino in 'Breaking Bad' didn't go unnoticed with watchers moving on to 'Pulp Fiction' after Mr. White bid his final adieu. Meanwhile, fast talking fans of 'Gilmore Girls' kept their retro references fresh by revisiting classics like 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Sixteen Candles.'"
But perhaps most intriguing was Netflix's realization, from the data, that seeing issues on TV shows can lead people to explore how they manifest in real life.
Netflix found that after watching its Pablo Escobar show "Narcos," members tended to watch documentaries "Cartel Land" and "Narco Cultura," both about the drug trade. After "Luke Cage," they looked at justice system documentary "13TH." And after "Black Mirror"'s future-dystopian horrors, they looked at "Hot Girls Wanted," a documentary about pornography and the internet. In all those cases, they bounced from the fictional depiction of the topic to the documentary exploration.
But Netflix viewers don't always look for similar subjects.
Netflix said that subscribers broke that mold with comedy, which served as a break from more tense genres like horror.
If you want to see some of the specific pairings Netflix found, here's a graphic Netflix put together:
