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Red-hot Netflix boasts network-topping viewing numbers, soaring stock

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Breaking the 13-64 demographic into four subsets, Ipsos found that Netflix was far and away the winner among the groups aged 13-17,  18-34, and 35-49. Younger viewers were especially likely to devote at least five hours of their week to Netflix. As viewers got older, the percentages slipped for the streamer, with networks growing slightly. In the 50-64 demo, CBS, ABC, and NBC all bested Netflix, but their margins were relatively small.

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CBS led the 50-64 pack, with 12 percent of viewers tuning in for five-plus hours, though even for those more traditional viewers Netflix pulled its weight at 7.9 percent. Conversely, when Netflix won, it won big. Among 13- to 17-year-olds, for example, Netflix pulled in 25.5 percent, compared to its runner-up, Nickelodeon, at 5.7 percent.

It’s worth noting that the third season of Orange Is the New Black was released on June 11, so many viewers may have been catching up on the latest in Litchfield Penitentiary during the week of June 15. Netflix’s record-breaking day — the day viewers set a new high for most cumulative hours watched, according to a letter to shareholders — was the day before the period Ipsos’ data captured. However, if OITNB did have a major impact, presumably the adult-themed show would be much smaller among the 13-17 demo, yet that was where the streamer shone brightest.

While it would be interesting to see what content drove viewership, whatever it was, it’s clear that Netflix has proven yet again that its a force to be reckoned with. As if the study weren’t enough, the streaming service racked up 34 Emmy nominations on Thursday, and also announced in its Q2 earning call this week that it broke 65 million subscribers during Q2 causing shares to jump a whopping 18 percent by closing bell yesterday, according to TechCrunch, bringing its worth to $49.51 billion. What a week.

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
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