TV CEO Calls Out Netflix Over Rating System

The CEO of FX is calling out Netflix over what he describes as a “flawed” rating system.

According to The Daily Wire:

Over the 2018 Christmas break, streaming giant Netflix boasted big numbers with the release of the Sandra Bullock-starring hit “Bird Box” – a whopping 45 million people. Skeptics, however, felt the numbers were either inflated or at least not an accurate representation of the exact number of people watching the film from start-to-finish. According to FX CEO John Landgraf, the streaming platform’s “ratings” are not an accurate representation of a long-form program performance.

Speaking Monday morning for the FX semiannual state of the union, THR reportsthat Landgraf took issue with Netflix’s recent estimates “that 40 million households were expected to watch Lifetime castoff You within its first four weeks on the streamer.” Keeping in mind Silicon Valley’s measurement of video starts, Landgraf concluded that Netflix’s projection was not a “remotely accurate representation of a longform program performance.”

Citing Nielsen data, Landgraf said that the actual numbers are one-fifth of what Netflix projected, making it an audience of 8 million rather than 40 million, which is roughly the same as any hit cable or network show in the digital age.

“An average audience of 8 million viewers is good, but it’s not as good as 40 million,” he said, “which would make you the number one show on television.”

The CEO explained that the winner-takes-all mentality that comes out of Silicon Valley is not good for the world. He argued for more choice in viewership opportunities and not this winner take all mentality being pushed by Netflix.

AUadmin