Netflix - Data, Analytics & Binge Watching

Let’s talk about Netflix! How Netflix puts the data it has about us to make sure we are subscribed and keep binge watching.

So Netflix does 2 things, it collects data, and then it does analytics.

Data - Netflix knows

• What, when and where we watch
• The Genres, languages, audio, you and I like
• What videos we opened but did not like
• What video we watched multiple times
• Where you pause and where you skip
• What actors you like
• And a lot more...

Now making use of this data is called analytics.

Analytics

But how does Netflix does it?

When you open Netflix, you see a lot of different movies/series posters. Netflix calls these posters as “header image”.

Netflix prepares multiple header images for each of its show/movie. The idea behind it? It tries to show you a header image based on your preferences using the data Netflix has about you.

So, you and I might be watching the same show, but we were intrigued by different header images.

If you like Romantics, you are likely to see someone kissing in the header image, if you like Thriller, you are likely to see some weapons, if you like Comedy, you are likely to see someone laughing, or if you like Ryan Reynolds, you are likely to see him in the poster. And all this for the same series.

So, you see, what it has been all the time making you binge watch all those nights?

P.s. Netflix is one company which doesn’t like to keep all things and formulas a secret. A great deal of how Netflix functions is available on open source.

If you want to read more about how Netflix functions- https://highscalability.com/blog/2017/12/11/netflix-what-happens-when-you-press-play.html (I have already summed up the interesting part in this article, rest is all boring stuff :P)