Remember when Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story debuted in September and almost single-handedly changed the streaming landscape? Evidently, it continues to do so. Today (December 5), Netflix announced that Dahmer had exceeded 1 billion hours of viewing time.
There is significant cause for skepticism regarding these data. At this stage in Netflix’s existence, all of the company’s statistics are self-reported. Due to this, we do not know how many people begin a series but never complete it, nor does this metric highlight households that rewatch shows or movies. Nevertheless, even with these drawbacks, this discovery is noteworthy.
After only 60 days, Dahmer is the third film in Netflix’s history to surpass the billion-hour viewing record. It’s also the second English-language title to achieve this distinction. Squid Game and Stranger Things 4 are the only titles to reach this milestone. According to a Netflix press release, Dahmer remained on the Netflix Global Top 10 for seven weeks and reached the top 10 in 92 countries. The series also set a Nielsen record for highest single-week viewership in the United States, ranking seventh on the list. It also held a position for three weeks on Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart.
Even more impressively, the drama created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan eventually dethroned Dahmer as Netflix’s No. 1 show. A few weeks after the premiere of Dahmer, Murphy and Brennan’s second No. 1 series in four weeks, The Watcher, assumed that coveted position, making it their second No. 1 series in that span. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, directed by Ryan Murphy, has ranked among Netflix’s Top 10 Films in 91 countries. Dahmer, however, is the largest fish in this particular pond.
These kinds of press releases elicit a great deal of skepticism, primarily due to the selective nature of streamers’ self-reported numbers. However, thanks to the Global Top 10, Netflix has been publicly comparing its own library and shows for months. This press release provides some insight into this extremely secretive company due to the history of comparisons. Unquestionably, Dahmer was a massive success for the streaming giant. It is not surprising that Monster has already been renewed for two additional seasons.
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