April 25th, 2024, YouGov
This comprehensive report delves into the social listening and viewership trends of 2021, highlighting the series that captured global attention, the emerging influence of new streaming platforms, and the thematic preferences of audiences worldwide. A special focus is placed on the Netflix Original "Squid Game," utilizing YouGov Stream viewership metrics to gauge the content that spurred the most subscriptions for leading streaming services.
Key findings include:
● Dark themes: Series featuring dark titles, especially those with crime and/or fantasy elements, consistently attracted global audiences. Notables include "The Walking Dead," "Game of Thrones," "Riverdale," "Lucifer," and "Stranger Things" as the year's standout series.
● Rising platforms: Disney+, HBO Max, and Paramount+ made significant strides in global popularity in 2021, thanks in part to their expanded availability in several key markets.
● Cinematic highlights: In the US, "Black Widow" and "Dune" ranked as top movie choices among viewers in 2021.
● Surprising success: "Squid Game" emerged as 2021's unexpected hit, achieving high levels of both Appetite Score and Wikipedia Volume across numerous territories. According to YouGov Stream data, it also boasted the broadest reach in its first 30 days in the US and UK among Netflix's 2021 debuts.
● Platform growth: HBO Max and Paramount+ successfully expanded their reach and rose in popularity during 2021.
● Subscription drivers: In the US, the Netflix Original "Sex/Life" proved to be a major draw, contributing to approximately 545,000 new sign-ups. For Amazon Prime Video, “Coming 2 America” drove the largest volume of signups in the US, with the title being the first-watched for 295k new subscribers.