In a big move towards transparency, streaming service Netflix has come out with viewership statistics for over 18 thousand titles for a period of six months with The Night Agent, a spy series, topping the top-20 chart with 812.1 million hours of views.
In its first “What We Watched” report, covering the period between January to June 2023, Netflix disclosed the viewership data for both original and licensed content, encompassing about 99 per cent of all viewing on the streaming platform.
No Indian show or movie made it to the top 20 list.
The Night Agent was followed by season two of Ginny & Georgia with 665.1 million hours and Korean drama The Glory with 622.8 million hours.
Series Wednesday, which was released in November 2022, ranked fourth at 507.7 million hours of viewing.
The top 10 titles included -- Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, You season four, La Seina del Sur season three, Outer Banks season three, Ginny & Georgia season one, and FUBAR season one.
The company also revealed that about 55 percent of viewing was for originals and 45 percent was for licensed shows and films.
From the licensed shows, Suits had a combined 599 million hours of viewing worldwide on Netflix across all nine seasons.
Netflix said it will begin sharing bi-annual reports, which will rank almost all of its shows and movies by the amount of hours viewed over the past six months.
"Over the last 16 years of streaming one constant has been people asking for more viewing information," Netflix co-chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos said on a call with journalists.
"It is a comprehensive deep dive into what people are watching on Netflix around the world and it is an important milestone for our industry," he added.
The company, Sarandos said, has been getting "increasingly transparent about what people are watching on Netflix".
"In November 2021, we started publishing our Top 10 lists and our Most Watched Titles across film and television as well as our Most Popular list. We also privately share title information with our creators. But we wanted to go even further," he said.
Netflix had attracted criticism for not sharing the viewership data, especially during the twin strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
The call for transparency from streamers was among the contentious issues flagged by the two guilds.
However, Sarandos said Hollywood strikes had nothing to do with the streamer's decision to share viewership numbers.
"This has been on a continuum for several years. So this is not driven by anything differently than that. I think it’s really important, that’s why I did say earlier, that lack of data, lack of transparency, the unintended consequence was this kind of mistrust, this environment of mistrust around the data.
"So this is probably more information than you need, but I think it creates a better environment for the guilds, for us, for the producers, for creators, and for the press,” the co-CEO said.
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Faye Winter defends Love Island 2025 cast after viewers flood Ofcom with complaints
Faye Winter calls out Love Island viewers after record Ofcom complaints and urges them to stop online abuse
Highlights:
Former Love Island star Faye Winter has hit back at the wave of online hate directed at contestants from the just-concluded 2025 season, calling the comments “vile” and urging viewers to “give them a break.” Her comments come as this year’s series officially became the most complained-about season in the reality show’s history.
Faye, who faced a record-breaking 25,000 Ofcom complaints during her own stint in 2021, took to Instagram to share her frustration with social media users attacking the current Islanders after Toni Laites and Cach Mercer won the £50,000 (₹5,300,000) prize.
Why did Faye Winter speak out against Love Island trolling?
The backlash followed Love Island 2025’s dramatic finale on 5 August, which ended with Toni and Cach crowned as winners. But the season made headlines for another reason: the alarming volume of complaints filed to Ofcom.
Faye, reflecting on her own experience, posted a picture from a flight and a statement slamming viewers for their online cruelty. “These Islanders don’t know you, and you don’t know them,” she wrote. “Before you post that nasty comment, ask yourself, will it actually make your life any better?”
She pointed out the double standards of viewers who demand drama from reality shows and then attack contestants for delivering it. “The performing monkeys you were entertained by are out of the circus now,” she added. “Let them rest… let them process the experience and do their eight seasons of therapy with someone who’s actually qualified.”
How many complaints were made about Love Island 2025?
According to Ofcom, more than 9,000 complaints were received in July alone, primarily concerning the alleged bullying of contestant Shakira. The episodes between 22 July and 25 July drew thousands of viewer complaints, including 2,272 complaints in a single night.
Further allegations were made about misogynistic behaviour by male Islanders, particularly contestants Dejon and Harrison Solomon. Some 1,000 complaints were lodged in mid-July regarding gender-based misconduct and inappropriate comments.
These figures surpass even the explosive 2021 season, when Faye’s heated argument with then-partner Teddy Soares sparked a national debate and 25,000 Ofcom complaints, though the regulator ultimately declined to take action.
Faye lashes out at Teddy | Love Island 2021 youtu.be
What has Faye Winter said about her own experience?
Since leaving the villa, Faye Winter has become one of the few ex-contestants to consistently speak up about the mental health toll of reality TV. On the We Need To Talk podcast hosted by Paul C. Brunson, she revealed she felt “worthless and alone” after coming off the show and even experienced suicidal thoughts.
“I remember feeling like all the pillars in my life were crumbling,” she said through tears. “I didn’t want to be in this house, I didn’t want to be around these people, I didn’t want to be doing this job.”
She echoed these sentiments during an earlier appearance on Fabulous Magazine’s Shamed YouTube series, where she admitted: “At one point, when I came out of Love Island, I thought I was the worst person in the world.”
What is ITV doing to protect Love Island contestants?
In response to growing concern over contestants’ welfare, ITV has implemented stricter duty of care protocols in recent years. These include psychological assessments, training on media handling, and post-show therapy sessions.
A spokesperson from ITV previously confirmed that all Islanders are now given mental health support both before entering the villa and after their exit. This includes therapy access, financial advice, and social media training.
But as Faye’s comments underline, the work may not be enough unless audiences take more responsibility for the impact of their words.