The Witcher Is Among Netflix's 10 Most Popular Releases of 2019
Netflix has released an official ranking of its most popular releases of 2019, and while Stranger [...]
Netflix has released an official ranking of its most popular releases of 2019, and while Stranger Things Season 3 might sit atop the list of most popular series released this year, there's a surprising inclusion directly below it: The Witcher. That's right; the show, which only released its first season on December 20th, The Witcher appears to be one of the most popular series releases of 2019 on the streaming platform. (It's #6 overall, even!)
Now, Netflix is playing with some very specific metrics here to include stuff that only recently debuted. The rankings aren't exact viewership numbers, but instead use the number of accounts that watched at least two minutes of a thing during the first 28 days of its release. For those releases that hadn't been around that long, Netflix instead estimated a number based on early data. Which is all to say, yes, The Witcher made the cut, but only because Netflix extrapolated out what several weeks more of viewership should look like for it.
— Netflix US (@netflix) December 30, 2019
Further complicating matters? It's unclear whether this metric includes autoplays like, for example, when someone hovers over an item on Netflix and it automatically begins playing. Not to say that Netflix isn't telling the truth or anything, but it's worth knowing exactly how this data is collected -- and whether there's anything potentially skewing it.
What do you think of Netflix's The Witcher? Have you watched it all as of yet? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!
Here's how Netflix describes the series:
"Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together."
The first eight-episode season of Netflix's The Witcher is available to stream on the platform now. It has already been renewed for a second season. Lauren S. Hissrich serves as showrunner. It stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, and Freya Allan as Ciri. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the latest and greatest adaptation right here.