Netflix Explains Why They Cancel More Shows Than Anyone Else

When it comes to cancelling shows, Netflix doesn't have the best reputation. It's not uncommon for the streaming service to make headlines with announcement that it has cancelled different original series with some getting the axe after just two seasons while others end up being one and dones. For fans, it looks like Netflix cancels far more television than anyone else, but it's a claim that Global Head of TV Bela Bajaria and co-CEO Ted Sarandos say isn't accurate -- and they've got the data to back it up.

Speaking at the Paley International Council Summit, Bajaria said that Netflix's program renewal rate sits around 67 percent, which is what she says lines up with industry standard.

"If you look at season twos and more, we actually have a renewal rate of 67%, which is industry standard," Bajaria said (via Deadline). "We also do make a large amount of first season shows, which sometimes feels that we have more first season cancellations but if you look at the renewal rate it's really strong. I also think you have to look at The Crown, with season four launching now, Grace & Frankie and The Ranch, we've had long running shows and we're always going to have a mix that are great to be told in a limited series form and shows that go on for multiple seasons."

This is actually somewhat similar to a report from Bloomberg from 2019. That report also indicated that Netflix's cancellation rate was in line with other networks.

However, even with those explanations fans continue to be upset about the loss of shows -- especially those who get axed after just one season. Netflix is notoriously private about their viewership information, too, which makes it very hard for fans to understand the cancellations, though Sarandos had another explanation for why people were frequently upset about the cancellation of programs on Netflix, though. He said that the metric for "success" of any given series is outdated.

"It seems like in this new age of television, the business model is a little different," Sarandos said. "The things that marked success prior to Netflix and OTT really had been getting to syndication, that was the goal and anything that didn't get to 100 episodes or past the four seasons didn't feel like a success, whereas I think many shows can be a success for being exactly what they are and you could tell that story in two seasons or one season or five seasons. I think it gets talked about so much because it's measured against the old way of doing things."

What do you think? Does this data help make sense of why Netflix cancels so many shows? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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