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Netflix coined the term 'binge racing' and here's what it means

Cape Town – Netflix has coined yet another new term as the video streaming giant continues to analyse and refine viewing behaviour in the binge-watching era: "Binge racing"  - a new type of TV viewer and TV show fan who race to be first to finish shows as part of a new "TV watching status symbol".

Netflix says more than 8 million viewers worldwide now "binge race" their favourite series and especially do it with seasons of shows like Stranger Things, Fuller House and House of Cards.

Netflix says the fast-growing TV viewing culture of binge-watching – watching a lot of episodes of a particular series in succession – has now also led to "binge racing", viewers who accomplish in a day what takes others weeks to achieve.

So-called Binge Racers – Netflix’s new term for these kinds of viewers – strive to be first to finish a show by speeding through an entire season of a show within 24 hours of its release on a subscription video-on-demand service.

Netflix says binge racers are defined as viewers who completed a season of a TV show within 24 hours of its release on Netflix.

So far 8.4 million Netflix viewers have globally engaged in binge racing and the new phenomena will likely also hold true for rivals in South Africa and Africa like Naspers' Showmax, Amazon Prime Video, ONTAPtv, DEOD and others.

"The rate of this binge racing behaviour continues to grow," says Netflix. "Between 2013 and 2016 the amount of launch day finishers increased more than 20 times over."

Super fans

Netflix says binge racers are not just couch potatoes. "For these super fans, the speed of watching in an achievement to be proud of and brag about. TV is their passion and binge racing is their sport".

"There's a unique satisfaction that comes from being the first to finish a story – whether it's the final page of a book or the last, climactic moments of your favorite TV show," says Brian Wright, Netflix vice president for original series.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life garnered the most global racers in its 24 hour debut on Netflix.

Fuller House reigns supreme in Ecuador, Club de Cuervos scored the number one slot in Mexico, and Marvel’s The Defenders takes the cake (er, The Hand) in Korea.

While binge racers are watching fast in pursuit of glory across the globe, Canada clocks in with the highest percentage of 24 hour finishers. South Africa and African countries don't yet feature anywhere on the top list.

Netflix top 20 binge racing countries are:


1.Canada
2.United States
3.Denmark
4.Finland
5.Norway
6.Germany
7.Mexico
8.Australia
9.Sweden
10.Brazil
11.Ireland
12.United Kingdom
13.France
14.New Zealand
15.Peru
16.Netherlands
17.Chile
18.Portugal
19.Italy
20.United Arab Emirates (UAE)


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