Netflix's House of Cards series is the most-viewed programme on the service, the red-hued streaming firm has stated.
Speaking at an AllThingsD conference, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said the bespoke drama, which stars Kevin Spacey is "the most-watched thing on Netflix in every country we operate in. We're going to do a lot more of these shows."
When asked whether 'most-watched' equates to the number of unique viewers or total hours streamed, Sarandos responded, "Both," going on to say that many people who viewed one episode went on to stream others.
Netflix seems chuffed with the performance of its pricey programme -- industry gossip pegs the production alone at $100m -- but Sarandos wasn't willing to divulge any actual viewing figures, saying, "It's a real apples and oranges comparison to network ratings," offering only that Netflix was "thrilled" with the audience numbers.
The show itself is an adaptation of a BBC miniseries from 1990, and centres on one politician's cut-throat attempts to gain power and hobble his opponents. Netflix has exclusive rights to the series, meaning it's only available via the streaming service, and can't be found on any TV channel.
Netflix already has plans for a second season, and will also be resurrecting cult comedy Arrested Development in May. The service's recent wheezes have industry wonks speculating that it's trying to take over from traditional broadcasters like HBO, though Sarandos insists, "We're not trying to dismantle or destroy television, we're trying to evolve television."
Have you watched House of Cards? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
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anonymous 14 February, 2013 13:10
FREEKNIG AWSOME SHOW!
anonymous 14 February, 2013 16:00
If it was made for exclusivity, then why does it follow the exact same formula for network shows, i.e. 50 minutes in the hour thus allowing for advertising. It wouldn't surprise me if it was sold after an initial period to recoup some of the $100M, especially given its ratings. I for one loved it!
anonymous 14 February, 2013 19:37
Was a fantastic programme, although Netflix haven't managed to get any money out of me as I've watched it during the free month, although come series 2 I will have to pay, probably why they are pushing Series 2 so quickly...
In reply to anonymous at 16:00, the episodes vary in length so much that it might be challenging to put it on networks, but I can see a DVD release coming soon to recoup more of their mammoth investment.