Netflix may have canceled a much number higher of original shows than usual in an effort to cut costs amid the Coronavirus pandemic, but compared to the downturn that’s stricken the theatrical industry and shows no signs of relenting anytime soon, the streaming service is in incredibly good shape.
There might’ve been a couple of controversies along the way, but 2020 was the company’s biggest year ever in terms of audience viewership, with subscriber numbers rocketing across all the major platforms as people spent a lot more time at home. In fact, seven of Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched original movies ever were released between March and December of last year, with the television side of things proving just as successful.
Four of the six largest TV debuts came in 2020 thanks to Tiger King, season 4 of Money Heist, The Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton, while the first batch of Cobra Kai episodes produced by Netflix have now made it one of the ten biggest returning shows the streamer has ever seen, with the streaming site projecting that an estimated 41 million households will have checked out the latest run of the Karate Kid sequel series in the first four weeks it was available.
Season 3 reached the top spot in 28 countries around the world, gaining solid reviews from critics and a huge amount of buzz from fans in the process. And while Cobra Kai may have started life as a YouTube original, it’s now firmly established as a draw on Netflix. In fact, even though the latest chapter in the story of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence only dropped less than two weeks ago, production on the next run is already rumored to begin imminently as the higher ups look to strike while the iron is hot and the show’s popularity is at its peak.