Netflix original movie 'Murder Mystery' sets new viewing record
Netflix has historically kept its viewership data a secret, but it has changed that trend in order to brag about the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston movie Murder Mystery. The streaming service claims the movie set a new record, at least among Netflix original films, with more than 30,000,000 unique accounts having watched the flick in its first three days.READ: Netflix 'Murder Mystery' trailer gives first look
Murder Mystery is the latest Adam Sandler original movie to launch on Netflix. As previously detailed, the film revolves around a New York cop played by Sandler and his wife, played by co-star Jennifer Aniston, on a European vacation intended to 'reinvigorate' their marriage.
This vacation results in a chance meeting which itself then results in a trip on an elderly billionaire's yacht — something that turns deadly, literally, forcing the comedic duo to solve the mystery or end up framed for the crime. The show arrived for all Netflix subscribers on June 14.
It's usually anticipated that Adam Sandler movies will get low ratings from critics and Murder Mystery is no exception. That doesn't mean it's unpopular, however, and Netflix has revealed numbers emphasizing that point.
The company claimed in a tweet that 30,869,863 accounts watched the original film in its first three days, with 13,374,914 of them in the US and Canada; the remaining 17,494,949 accounts belonged to viewers elsewhere in the world. There's no way to verify the numbers, so you'll have to take Netflix's word, and some critics have proven reluctant to do that.
Despite the skepticism, it's easy to see how the streaming service could experience such high viewership numbers. Netflix movies are 'free' in the sense that viewers don't have to pay anything beyond their monthly subscription, which in some cases is cheaper than a single movie ticket.
Viewers may choose to avoid movies they anticipate will be silly or otherwise generic if it comes with a large ticket price tag, but may be more than willing to watch the same content if it's available to stream at no additional cost. Add in the comforts of home, the cheaper-than-theaters popcorn, and it's not hard to imagine how Netflix thrives while cinemas struggle.