• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave

2

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

3

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

1

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave

2

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

3

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
Arts & Entertainment

Netflix’s Binge-Watching Model Is Set to Take Over TV

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 20, 2017, 6:10 AM ET
Photograph by Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Traditional TV networks are following Netflix’s lead by releasing all new episodes of a series at the same time, a step to win over binge viewers who do not want to wait a week for the next installment.

The move poses a direct challenge to Netflix and a way for more traditional networks to reach for younger, digital-savvy consumers who insist on watching on their own schedules.

Walt Disney (DIS) network Freeform, which targets a younger audience, put the entire 10-episode season of new sci-fi drama “Beyond” on digital and on-demand platforms on Jan. 2, a first for the channel. By Jan. 10, it was ready to order a second season.

“There are moments when it’s really hard to make a decision about a pickup,” Freeform President Tom Ascheim said, announcing the renewal at a Television Critics Association event. “This is not one of those moments.”

Roughly 14 million people watched “Beyond” on TV and online during the first week. About 745,000 have finished the season on various platforms, the network said.

In its earnings report this week, Netflix (NFLX) highlighted growing competition from rivals that are adopting the strategy. Britain’s BBC, for example, announced earlier this month it would distribute full seasons of major series on its digital platform before the episodes run on traditional linear television.

“We presume HBO is not far behind the BBC,” Netflix added. A spokesman for HBO, owned by Time Warner (TWX), had no comment.

“In short, it’s becoming an internet TV world, which presents both challenges and opportunities for Netflix as we strive to earn screen time,” Netflix said.

Netflix popularized binge viewing with the 2013 release of the entire season of “House of Cards.” The company’s monthly subscription service reached 94 million customers at the end of 2016, it said on Wednesday.

Comcast’s (CMCSA) NBC became the first U.S. broadcast network to try the release-at-once idea in 2015 when it put 13 episodes of drama “Aquarius” online right after the premiere aired on TV.

NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt said shortly after the experiment that he would consider it again for the occasional show but it would not become standard practice.

The tactic is not popular with affiliate stations, Greenblatt said at the time.

But advertisers see some advantages to the release of entire seasons in one batch, said Andy Donchin, chief investment officer at Dentsu Aegis Network.

“If people want to binge view like that and they seek it out, they are probably highly engaged viewers,” Donchin said. “If you’re engaged in the program, hopefully you’ll be just as engaged with the commercials.”

Still there are tradeoffs, Wible said. When people are watching bingeable shows at their own pace, the shows miss out on the conversations that happen when a big plot development is watched by everyone at the same time, such as the famous “Red Wedding” episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

“You do lose out on the buzz,” Wible said. “I think it takes longer to gain momentum.”

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

orange
North AmericaWorld Cup
‘Special thanks to the Scots for drinking all the beer’: Mass. governor seals World Cup with welcoming ceremony for an orange traffic cone
By Leah Willingham and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
14 hours ago
gus
Arts & EntertainmentAuction
Dinosaur bones market roars as T-Rex named ‘Gus’ sells for record $50.1 million to mystery bidder at auction
By Philip Marcelo and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
15 hours ago
joe
PoliticsElections
Just what you wanted before the midterms: a book by Joe Biden explaining himself
By Hillel Italie and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
15 hours ago
France will walk away from the World Cup with at least $27 million—but Kylian Mbappé hasn’t kept a cent of his national team earnings since 2018
SuccessWorld Cup
France will walk away from the World Cup with at least $27 million—but Kylian Mbappé hasn’t kept a cent of his national team earnings since 2018
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 15, 2026
16 hours ago
Twelve states sue Paramount over $81 billion Warner Bros. merger, arguing it would ‘extinguish competition’ and lead to lower quality shows
LawWarner Bros. Discovery
Twelve states sue Paramount over $81 billion Warner Bros. merger, arguing it would ‘extinguish competition’ and lead to lower quality shows
By Wyatte Grantham-PhilipsJuly 14, 2026
1 day ago
camera
Arts & EntertainmentGen Z
Gen Z’s analog obsession is reviving a film camera market that digital killed
By Rotem Rozental and The ConversationJuly 14, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
Law
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
By Barbara Ortutay, Alexandra Olson and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
15 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
1 day ago
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
North America
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 14, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon understands why people are anti-rich: 'We have, in fact, left the lower-income folks behind' and 'that's kind of annoying'
Economy
Jamie Dimon understands why people are anti-rich: 'We have, in fact, left the lower-income folks behind' and 'that's kind of annoying'
By Eleanor PringleJuly 15, 2026
17 hours ago
He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
Innovation
He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
By Lily Mae LazarusJuly 15, 2026
16 hours ago
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
C-Suite
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
By Fortune EditorsJuly 15, 2026
13 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.