Why Netflix’s Split-Season Strategy Is A Mixed Bag: Insights from "Emily in Paris," "The Crown," And More

 

Netflix's decision to break popular shows like Emily in Paris and The Crown into split seasons has become a notable experiment in the streaming giant’s pursuit of extended viewer engagement. While the strategy yields more time in the platform's top 10 rankings and aligns with Netflix's preferred view metrics, it also leads to reduced total viewing hours for many series, as shown by streaming data from recent seasons. Let’s delve into the implications of this approach and why it’s delivering mixed results.

The Strategy Behind Split Seasons

Traditionally, Netflix pioneered binge culture by releasing entire seasons at once, encouraging viewers to consume content in a single sitting or over a short period. In recent years, however, the platform has adopted a new strategy for some of its most prominent scripted shows: releasing seasons in two parts, often spaced a month apart.

The goal? Boost engagement and keep audiences talking about a show for longer. Instead of having a season dominate the charts for a few weeks and then disappear, a split release prolongs the time a show stays relevant, driving subscriber retention and discussions on social media.

This tactic has clear benefits. For instance, season four of Emily in Paris spent more time in the top 10 rankings than its previous full-season counterpart. Similarly, The Crown and The Witcher gained traction with the split-season model, reinforcing Netflix's theory that spreading out releases can amplify a series' long-term impact.

The Mixed Results: Viewer Time vs. Viewer Counts

While split seasons are great for Netflix's view metrics (total views calculated by dividing total viewing time by runtime), the total hours spent on a show can suffer.

Take Outer Banks season four as an example. The first half amassed 62.3 million viewing hours in its opening week—a significant drop from the 155 million hours logged in the first week of season three’s binge release. This trend reflects a clear downside of offering fewer episodes upfront: less total time spent watching the season in its initial weeks.

Emily in Paris season four, however, tells a slightly different story. The two-part release accumulated 45.1 million views within the first four weeks of the initial drop, surpassing season three’s view count over six weeks, despite having slightly fewer viewing hours overall. This indicates that while fewer episodes can lead to a drop in total hours, the split approach may still win out in terms of Netflix's preferred metrics.

Conversely, The Witcher season three saw diminished returns in both viewing hours and view counts compared to its binge-released predecessor. Over eight weeks, the split season garnered 57.8 million views, down from 67.2 million views over six weeks for season two. Despite the longer time in Netflix's top 10, the split strategy couldn’t entirely close the gap.

What This Means for Viewers and Netflix

From a viewer's perspective, split seasons create anticipation and offer a break from the all-consuming binge model. For Netflix, they allow the platform to remain part of the cultural conversation longer, enticing subscribers to stick around for the second installment. However, the trade-off lies in the overall depth of engagement. Shows with smaller episode counts at the start might lose out on substantial viewing hours compared to a single-drop format.

Another wrinkle arises in how Netflix tallies its rankings. By combining the viewing times of both parts of a split season over their respective 91-day periods, Netflix ensures that these series compete strongly in its top 10 charts. This method has contributed to higher view counts for certain shows despite lower viewing hours overall.

The Future of Netflix’s Content Releases

As Netflix continues to refine its release strategies, the mixed results of split seasons suggest that no single approach works for all series. For lighter, engaging series like Emily in Paris, the split model seems to enhance longevity and boost view counts. However, for high-budget, serialized dramas like The Witcher, it might dilute excitement and result in diminished engagement.

For now, the split-season trend appears here to stay, balancing Netflix's objectives for sustained viewer engagement with the inevitable trade-offs in total watch time. Whether this model evolves into the industry standard or remains a niche experiment will depend on how audiences react to upcoming seasons of fan-favorite shows.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Photo Credit: Netflix