Is Netflix Content Getting Better?

I asked the data. Plus: Many other questions.

Originally published in the hi, tech. newsletter.

Very few of us had a good 2020, but Netflix bucked that trend. It added over 40 million new subscribers, taking the global total to more than 200 million. 74 million people in the US have a Netflix subscription today.

New challenges emerged, too. The competitive landscape is crowded and Netflix needs new ways to keep us all watching.

Plus, it can be difficult just to find something good to watch on there.

I’ve taken a step back and looked at the numbers I could find, to answer the following:

• Which country has the biggest Netflix content library?
• Where is Netflix cheapest/most expensive?
• How has the content library changed over time?
• Where are Netflix shows/movies produced?
• Does Netflix have more/less original content than its competitors?
• But is that content actually any good?
• What’s next for Netflix?

🌍 Which country has the biggest Netflix content library?

Ireland.

According to the February 2021 figures, Ireland has 6,379 titles in its Netflix content library.

You can see a full-size and interactive version of the map below via this link.

I’ve plotted them in descending order here, so you can check out your country’s position on this all-important list.

You will note already that there are some big gaps on the map for Netflix.

Netflix have just appointed a senior executive responsible for expansion into more African countries, so we can expect to see a greater presence there soon.

Now let’s look at the top ten, with movies and TV shows split out as separate categories: