Netflix released its final biannual viewership report Thursday. However, the report came with several changes and omissions. The company confirmed a shift to annual reporting starting in 2027, but also neglected to list podcast viewership as a specific category in the reporting.
What We Know: War Machine topped Netflix’s film chart for the first half of 2026, while His & Hers led scripted series. Video podcasts, meanwhile, landed under the vague “Other Shows” label, logging 757 million hours in total. The “Other Shows” label carries other programming outside of podcasts. Netflix entered video podcasting earlier this year but still won’t break out individual title’s viewership. Netflix now carries more than 50 podcasts on its platform. The twice-yearly report cadence had run since December 2023.
What They Said: Netflix (via shareholder letter per The Wrap): “Recently launched video podcasts over-index on viewing during the day and on mobile devices, an indicator that this engagement is incremental.”
What Remains Unclear: Any true viewership data from Netflix or any of the over 50 podcasts on the platform is unknown. Any timetable for any data release is also unknown.
What It Means: It’s obvious that Netflix wants to allow some time before releasing any viewership data regarding their podcast success story. However, by not releasing any specific data, could the viewership be less than what the platform expected. By no means does the amount Netflix is investing in podcasts affect the bottom line of the company. Netflix estimated cap is reportedly over $300 billion. Podcast partners, however, gain no new transparency despite the platform’s rapid content buildout. Fewer disclosures could reignite concerns among producers about accountability.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.