The Netflix Binge Release Format - Yea or Nay?

[TheVileOne]

Book of Boba Fett might be the perfect example of why binge format works and why it would've been preferable for that show. It wasn't paced well enough as a weekly episodic series, especially with those flashbacks. Not to mention, the first episode was so short and ends so abruptly. They should've at least started that show out with two episodes.

I don't think there's a single catch-all answer here frankly.

 

[Prison Mike]

I think if Netflix does go with the weekly format for most of their shows, you will probably see a higher rate of cancellations. Comedies can probably survive week to week but genre specific dramas might suffer if there’s big drop offs week to week.

 

[Sawyer]

I think if Netflix does go with the weekly format for most of their shows, you will probably see a higher rate of cancellations. Comedies can probably survive week to week but genre specific dramas might suffer if there’s big drop offs week to week.

Don’t really see how it could get any higher where Netflix is concerned…

 

[TheVileOne]

Don’t really see how it could get any higher where Netflix is concerned…

Frankly, I think The Witcher got lucky it got the S3 renewal before S2 launch. Mainly because of how S2 ended up.

 

[Prison Mike]

Don’t really see how it could get any higher where Netflix is concerned…

I feel like it could because their intel would be based on viewership for a few episodes rather than entire season. Similar to the major networks, they could cancel a show mid way through the season rather than letting it finish and judging the views for the whole season vs a few episodes.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Netflix has already gotten to the point where they without parts of seasons for months and have some shows that are released weekly and are still very popular.

 

[Boy Scout]

I know at least Netflix is moving away from releasing the entire season at once, and while I understand it, the appeal of streaming services for me has always been that I can watch everything at once. Might as well have cable if I’m forced to watch week-to-week.

That being said, as time has passed, I’ve found myself in the middle of the debate. I don’t like waiting week-to-week but cramming as much content as I can into as short a time frame as I can is just as unappealing. My solution these days is to wait until an entire season has been released and then watch it at my leisure. I stay away from spoilers and discussion (if I care enough to avoid them, which isn’t always) until I finish.

Luckily for me, I have a large back catalogue of things I need to watch, so I always have something to keep me busy in the meantime if I get the urge to watch something while I wait.

 

[Prison Mike]

I know at least Netflix is moving away from releasing the entire season at once, and while I understand it, the appeal of streaming services for me has always been that I can watch everything at once. Might as well have cable if I’m forced to watch week-to-week.

That being said, as time has passed, I’ve found myself in the middle of the debate. I don’t like waiting week-to-week but cramming as much content as I can into as short a time frame as I can is just as unappealing. My solution these days is to wait until an entire season has been released and then watch it at my leisure. I stay away from spoilers and discussion (if I care enough to avoid them, which isn’t always) until I finish.

Luckily for me, I have a large back catalogue of things I need to watch, so I always have something to keep me busy in the meantime if I get the urge to watch something while I wait.

Yup I’ve been doing the same! Just waiting for the season to finish first. There’s very few show that I will watch week to week. I prefer bingeing.

 

[Boy Scout]

Yup I’ve been doing the same! Just waiting for the season to finish first. There’s very few show that I will watch week to week. I prefer bingeing.

Truly the best of both worlds.

 

[metaphysician]

I feel like it could because their intel would be based on viewership for a few episodes rather than entire season. Similar to the major networks, they could cancel a show mid way through the season rather than letting it finish and judging the views for the whole season vs a few episodes.

That presumes there would be a point in canceling a show "mid-season". I doubt there would be, as even if they switched to releasing episodes weekly, most of the production and production expenses would already have happened. Even regular networks almost never cancel shows midseason anymore unless they are truly disastrous, and Netflix has even less incentive ( since shows don't compete for timeslots ). My guess is that, whatever money saved on production of the last few eps in even a flop of a show, would be worth less to Netflix than having the completed season to sit in their catalog.

 

[Albright]

I really hate the Netflix way. I don’t have the time to binge 8 episodes on the day of release. I already fear the last season of Ozark being spoiled somewhere before I had the chance to watch it.

 

[MadVillainy]

I feel it's WAAAAAAY easier to stumble on spoilers when things are weekly. Because when something is weekly they expect most if not everbody to be on the same schedule. Especially now with how shows use social media as marketing. I knew the ending of Invincible season 1 because all these meme accounts were posting it (yes I know it's an adapted work but I didn't read it)

So I've never bought the spoiler argument. If you want to avoid spoilers, don't go into (Insert Show Title Here)'s thread or subreddit.

To me it depends on the show. Like this show Winning Time on HBO, with how it is structured it would've been way better for it to be a binge rather than week by week.

 

[Prison Mike]

Yeah I’m waiting for Winning Time to finish before I start it

 

[Erik20]

I feel it's WAAAAAAY easier to stumble on spoilers when things are weekly. Because when something is weekly they expect most if not everbody to be on the same schedule. Especially now with how shows use social media as marketing. I knew the ending of Invincible season 1 because all these meme accounts were posting it (yes I know it's an adapted work but I didn't read it)

So I've never bought the spoiler argument. If you want to avoid spoilers, don't go into (Insert Show Title Here)'s thread or subreddit.

To me it depends on the show. Like this show Winning Time on HBO, with how it is structured it would've been way better for it to be a binge rather than week by week.

Yeah I agree. Especially on YouTube and Instagram you'll just run into spoilers without even looking for it. On YouTube you might see a thumbnail or title spoiling something big, because a lot of YouTubers are doing their weekly reviews. And on Instagram I've had movies and shows spoiled just by opening the search bar... Like most people probably already knew about Baby Yoda before they started watching The Mandalorian.

If it's the entire season at once, most videos that are being posted won't focus on specific moments

 

[Iceman]

If it was just me in a bubble then definitely the binge format. Otherwise for geek discussion purposes which even makes it worth watching bad shows and films, it’s better to have them weekly. The other alternative would be force everyone to watch episodes at the exact time I do.

 

[metaphysician]

I am torn. I think the "binge format" does have a lot of advantages, including allowing for a more efficient production schedule compared to weekly releases, and a better form of pacing not beholden to repeated gaps. OTOH. . . I find it really hard to *actually* binge a show. I just don't like to watch 5+ hours of TV at a time, entertaining show or not. And trying to do so tends to burn me out at least a little.

 

[Spider-Fan83]

even when the whole series drops, I still usually watch it as a weekly show (at must I might watch 2 episodes in a row)

 

[Erik20]

even when the whole series drops, I still usually watch it as a weekly show (at must I might watch 2 episodes in a row)

Yeah it's the same for me. I get the "spoilers" argument, but besides that nobody is forcing you to binge a show. You can watch at your own pace.

There's this new Korean show of which Netflix is releasing weekly episodes, but it has no buzz at all. Maybe they thought it could be another Squid Game, but I haven't heard anyone talking about it. So if that was the strategy, it didn't really work...

Every streaming service wants their own big weekly show like a Game of Thrones, but they're forgetting that it's almost never doing amazing numbers on day one. (There are some exceptions like a Star Wars or Marvel show) A new show often needs time to grow a fanbase.