Netflix says Korean show Squid Game was an astronomical success

Netflix released its third-quarter earnings report today, and as you'd imagine, the company had some things to say about its surprise hit Squid Game. The Korean drama about contestants who compete in deadly games at a shot for cash raked in well over 100 million household views in less than a month on the streaming service.

Once upon a time, Netflix kept its viewership numbers to itself; that changed over recent years, with the company boasting whenever it has a big hit and Squid Game is no exception. The company revealed as part of its financial results that 142 million households streamed the Korean series in its first 28 days on the service, something Netflix says was "mind-boggling."

That's the global views for the series, which has already spawned a line of merchandise that includes tracksuits like the ones contestants wore in the game. Squid Game managed to climb to the platform's number one slot in ranking across 94 countries.

Soon after its debut, Netflix announced a merchandising partnership with Walmart that includes items based on its various hits. Netflix's CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos said they hadn't expected the show to be such a massive success for the platform.

What will be the next viral show to grace Netflix subscribers? The company said it'll likely come in a similar manner as Squid Game, popping up seemingly out of nowhere to win over viewers and, potentially, set another record. Past key successes for Netflix have included Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and some of its older originals like Orange is the New Black.