Binge-watching, or watching several or all episodes of a series in one go, could be losing ground to traditional weekly broadcasts. This strategy is notably used by American premium network HBO, which is winning over young viewers and giving food for thought to other streaming platforms.
Everyone can watch shows at their own pace on streaming platforms. If some viewers prefer to watch the latest season of their favorite series in one go, others are more patient, and happy to stick to one episode per week.
Thanks to the likes of Netflix and its strategy of releasing entire seasons directly online, binge-watching has taken hold, especially among young consumers, who can stay glued to their screens for hours.
In fact, 53% of Gen Z and millennials say they’d rather watch a “binge-drop” show than one that lands in weekly instalments. This is according to a March survey by YPulse of 1,500 viewers aged 13-39 in the United States and Canada, and 2,500 people in the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany.
While this practice has become part of young people’s viewing habits, it seems the tide could slowly be turning. Indeed, YPulse data from 2018 showed that, at the time, 63% of young consumers preferred binge-watching shows – a percentage that has certainly decreased five years later.
The case of HBO
Streaming platforms and TV networks have not given up on the more traditional broadcasting rate. US network HBO is a perfect example of this.
The show “The Last of Us” – based on the video game of the same name starring Pedro Pascal – broke ratings records on HBO Max, becoming the most-watched show on the streaming platform in Europe and Latin America, despite the fact that it aired one episode per week.
Similar success was observed on American television for HBO, which saw a 75% jump in ratings between the broadcast of the show’s first and last episodes. “The Last of Us” has even become the current favourite show of 13-39 year olds, according to YPulse.
Last year, HBO succeeded in winning over audiences with its “House of the Dragon” series, which even managed to crash HBO Max.
And the success of shows like “The White Lotus”, “Barry”, “Succession”, and “Euphoria” further proves that a weekly broadcast rate is no barrier to ratings records or the enthusiasm of young viewers.
In fact, by releasing just one episode per week, viewers are provided with a regular slot for tuning in, an event not to be missed – in turn boosting discussions on social networks.
And, as the fear of seeing spoilers looms, viewers tend to rush to the episode as soon as it airs so as not to risk having their enjoyment ruined by accidentally discovering key plot details.
Streaming platforms such as Disney+ and AppleTV+ also use this rate of airing one episode per week. And success has not been lacking for shows like “Loki” with Tom Hiddleston, “Moon Knight” with Oscar Isaac, “Ted Lasso,” starring Jason Sudeikis (which won the Emmy award for best comedy series in 2021 and 2022), and “The Morning Show” with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Even Netflix has started to shake up its scheduling by offering more and more series with two-part seasons, like “You” starring Penn Badgley, “Firefly Lane” with Katherine Heigl, and “Stranger Things”.
Releasing one episode per week is obviously far from a new idea; before the boom of streaming platforms, this was the norm on television, and US networks like HBO and ABC managed to keep viewers coming back week after week thanks to hit shows like “Game of Thrones” and “Grey’s Anatomy”, benefiting from a significant fan base.
With the mass of content now available on a multitude of streaming platforms, young consumers can feel overwhelmed by the choices available to them.
As such, scheduling regular viewing slots and even creating a feeling of frustration could foster more excitement and curiosity… a winning combination for platforms.