On the first days of September, Netflix's weekly figures on its own Tudum site quietly rewrote the platform's record book: an animated musical, KPop Demon Hunters, released June 20, edged past Squid Game Season 1 to become the most-watched title in the service's history. The margin is less than a million views, a narrow lead that says as much about the slow accumulation of attention as about any single triumph. It is a reminder that a surprise can outlast the expectations that greeted it, and that the crown on a streaming service is always provisional, held only as long as viewers keep arrivin
KPop Demon Hunters Overtakes Squid Game as Netflix's Most-Watched Title, Per Company Figures
A margin of under a million views, four years after Squid Game set the bar
Mark
So the headline is a record. How big is the gap, really?
Mimi
Small. Netflix says 266 million views against 265.2 million for Squid Game Season 1. That's less than a million apart.
Luke
And worth saying that all of this comes from Netflix's own Tudum figures. There's no independent audit in what we have.
Mark
Why does it still matter, if the margin is that thin?
Mimi
Because of what it beats. Squid Game set that mark four years ago, and this is an animated film that arrived June 20 and wasn't expected to do this.
Mark
What about the music? It keeps coming up.
Mimi
Golden, by the fictional group Huntr/x, reached number one on Billboard's global charts, and the songs have topped rankings elsewhere too.
Luke
Careful with the sing-along feature, though. The report says many believe it pushed views higher. That's a belief, not a measured effect.
Mark
Is the record safe now?
Mimi
Not necessarily. It's still adding about 30 million views a week, but the lead is narrow.
Luke
Right, and we don't know how long that weekly pace lasts. That's the open question.
The Pulse
- The film's 266 million views sit just above Squid Game Season 1's 265.2 million, a lead measured in fractions of a percent.
- Netflix's own weekly data arrived as a jolt, displacing a benchmark that had stood unchallenged for four years.
- Golden, by the fictional group Huntr/x, climbed to number one on Billboard's global charts, carrying the film's reach far beyond its premiere.
- A recently added sing-along feature is widely believed to be fueling late viewership, though Netflix has not quantified its effect.
- With the lead this thin and a growing catalog ahead, the film's grip on the top spot now depends on whether demand holds.
On the first days of September, Netflix's weekly figures on its own Tudum site quietly rewrote the platform's record book: an animated musical, KPop Demon Hunters, released June 20, edged past Squid Game Season 1 to become the most-watched title in the service's history. The margin is less than a million views, a narrow lead that says as much about the slow accumulation of attention as about any single triumph. It is a reminder that a surprise can outlast the expectations that greeted it, and that the crown on a streaming service is always provisional, held only as long as viewers keep arriving.
On September 3, Netflix published its weekly viewing figures on Tudum, and one line changed the company's record book. KPop Demon Hunters, an animated original that arrived on June 20, had passed Squid Game Season 1 to become the most-watched title in Netflix history.
The margin is slim. For the week of August 25 to 31, the film drew 30.1 million views, bringing its total to 266 million, against Squid Game's 265.2 million. It took the lead in its eleventh week and was still gaining viewers as it did.
The film was never planned around a record. It was a surprise hit, and its songs climbed charts worldwide, with the track Golden by the fictional group Huntr/x reaching number one on Billboard's global charts. The story follows a girl group that performs as idols by day and fights demons by night, pitted against a boy band of demons in disguise.
More recently, Netflix added a sing-along feature, which many observers believe helped sustain the ranking. That remains a belief rather than a figure Netflix has released. Whether the film keeps its lead will depend on how long demand lasts in a catalog that keeps growing.
On September 3, Netflix published its weekly viewing figures on Tudum, its official site, and one line in them reset the company's record book. KPop Demon Hunters, an animated original that arrived on the platform on June 20, had passed Squid Game Season 1 to become the most-watched title in Netflix history.
The numbers are narrow but clear. For the week of August 25 to 31, the film drew 50.2 million viewing hours, which Netflix counts as 30.1 million views. That brought its cumulative total to 443.4 million viewing hours, or 266 million views. Squid Game Season 1 had held the top spot with 265.2 million views, so the margin is under a million. The film took the lead in its eleventh week, and it was still adding viewers when it did.
The milestone carries some weight because of what it displaces. Squid Game set that benchmark four years ago and had stood as the platform's global high-water mark since. Netflix's own figures now put an animated musical above it.
The film's path there was not planned around a record. According to the reporting, KPop Demon Hunters was a surprise hit on release, drawing views well beyond expectations. Its original songs have also climbed charts around the world. One track, Golden, by the fictional group Huntr/x, reached number one on Billboard's global charts.
The story is set in the world of pop idols. Huntr/x is a girl group that performs as idols by day and fights demons by night. Their popularity is threatened by the Saja Boys, a boy band whose members are demons in disguise and who aim to take the souls of fans. Huntr/x sets out to destroy them.
Maggie Kang directed the film. The voice cast includes Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong and Lee Byung-hun.
The report also notes a more recent change. Netflix added a sing-along feature to the film, and many observers believe it helped lock in the ranking and drove additional views. That is a belief rather than something Netflix has quantified in the figures cited.
What to watch next is whether the lead holds. With a margin this thin and a catalog that keeps growing, the sing-along feature and continued demand will determine how long the film stays on top.
Notable Quotes
Many believe the recently added sing-along feature further cemented the film's ranking and pushed more views.— Times Now report, describing common belief
Want the full story?
Read the original at Times Now ↗
Business