Skip to main content

Orange is the New Black helped Netflix hit a new streaming record

Orange is the New Black helped Netflix hit a new streaming record

Share this story

Netflix hit a new streaming record last month thanks to Orange is the New Black. The premiere of the show's third season apparently led subscribers to stream an overall "record number of hours in a single day" on June 14th, when looking at all shows and movies played across Netflix. Unfortunately, Netflix doesn't actually say what that "record number" is, but it's a clear signal that Netflix's original series are in fact getting subscribers to watch more — a fact that should help keep them paying.

The record was set the night of the Game of Thrones finale

Netflix tries to make its new record sound particularly impressive by pointing out that it came on the same day as the Game of Thrones season finale and game five of the NBA finals, both of which certainly could have kept viewers away from Netflix. Even tentpole films can falter because of competing options: Age of Ultron premiered the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby and the Mayweather–Pacquiao fight, and studio execs pointed to them when discussing the film's slight underperformance.

The record was mentioned in the letter Netflix released alongside its earnings last night. In addition to mentioning the performance of Orange is the New Black, Netflix also wrote that "nearly 90 percent of Netflix members have engaged with Netflix original content," a fact that it views as "another indicator that we are on the right path." That stat doesn't explain how much of Netflix's original content subscribers ultimately watch, but Netflix — like HBO — seems to be finding success with its focus on originals.