Variety's 'Strictly Business' podcast features conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment If you’re a streaming service lucky enough to have a hit series on your hands, congratulations — now the hard part begins. Keeping that series on the air, let alone growing its audience over time, can be a daunting task. But there are data patterns worth taking note of that can be helpful for programmers, according to a new Luminate study, “Release Strategies for Music & TV,” which examines everything from binge vs. weekly distribution to the risks of waiting too long between seasons.
LISTEN to the full conversation on Variety‘s Strictly Business podcast “It’s not as simple as just the longer the break, the more viewership declines,” said the report’s author, Luminate analyst Tyler Aquilina, on the latest episode of the Variety “Strictly Business” podcast. But based on estimated full-season views, if you take a long break, you will most likely see a drop in viewership.” Aquilina cited examples including Netflix’s “Wednesday,” which took almost three years to return after a successful rookie season, only to drop nearly 60% upon its return. Another prominent series, Prime Video’s “The Rings of Power,” dropped almost as steeply after a two-year layoff.
Aquilina also explained that Luminate data pointed to binge releases tending to see big spikes in viewership but steep drops, while weekly releases maintain consistent engagement.
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