Has it happened to you?
You sit down and watch an episode of an intriguing series on Netflix, and just as you stretch while the final credits roll, the next episode begins and you’re hooked.
There goes another hour. And before you know as soon as that ends they start another and there goes Saturday. The sun has set you haven’t eaten dinner and the dog needs to go out.
“For some time now Netflix has been offering a recommendation engine. They have an algorithm, as all these companies do, that’s says because you watched this type of content we really think you’ll like this show here,” says top streaming media analyst Dan Rayburn. Streaming companies read his blog.
In 2017, 58% of consumers subscribed to a streaming service, Netflix holding the largest share of the market with 50%, Amazon Prime at 29% and Hulu third at 14%. The first goal is to get you to watch, the second goal is to get you to watch longer, and the third goal is to get you to come back for more.
They’re figuring us out very effectively.
“They’ve all been working to make that algorithm work better based on what your viewing habits, patterns and choices are and they are very smart in knowing what kind of content they think you want to watch and introducing you to it,” Rayburn tells KTRH News.