Netflix continues to expand its game portfolio. However, less than one percent of customers interact with the game on a daily basis. Netflix games are watched an average of 1.7 million times a day by a fraction of Netflix’s 221 million subscribers worldwide.
It is clear from the data that American media group CNBC Data obtained from the platform Apptopia. As the video streaming service entered the gaming business in November 2021, Netflix’s games have been downloaded a total of 23.3 million times, according to Apptopia. Netflix debuted with just five mobile games for Android with no ads, fees, or in-app purchases. Implementation for iOS followed shortly afterwards. It has since grown to over two dozen titles, including the card game Exploding Kittens, a game based on the League of Legends spin-off HexTech Mayhem and the strategy title Into the Breach.
Netflix plans to double its current lineup of games to 50 titles by the end of this year and has acquired several indie game studios. Game studio Next Games was bought for 65 million euros. The Finnish developer studio has previously developed mobile games for the Netflix brands, including Stranger Things: Puzzle Quest and The Walking Dead: Out World.
downloads are increasing
In January, Apptopia recorded eight million Netflix game downloads, while data from analytics firm Sensor Tower shows the total number of downloads in June was 13 million. Android device customers can access and download the game for free through the Netflix app or the Google Play Store, while Apple’s rules dictate that Netflix directs Apple device users to download on the App Store.
Netflix lost subscribers in April for the first time in a decade, and another 1.3 million worldwide between the end of May and June. However, the loss of customers was less than expected. Customer growth is expected in the current quarter.
Especially as Netflix is looking for ways to make more money from customers rather than simply increasing the prices of pre-existing video services, the streaming provider’s gaming offering could play an increasingly important role. Netflix also plans to launch an ad-supported subscription model by early 2023 and is exploring ways to tackle password sharing. A related initiative is entering the testing phase.
(AKN)
