Although Netflix spends billions of dollars on developing and producing original content, most of the network’s top 20 shows streamed last year were acquired, with The Office and Friends coming out on top, according to Nielsen. At Vanity Fair‘s New Establishment Summit this week, Netflix chief Ted Sarandos offered his theory as to why: “One of the reasons Friends and The Office are so popular is because they’re on Netflix. Considering that Friends and The Office each have over 200 episodes, this could also explain why they’re so popular for Netflix’s binge audience. Most Netflix Originals, after all, have less than 100 episodes, granting them “a very brief lifespan.”Sadly for Sarandos, both series will soon leave Netflix. At the same time, Seinfeld will swoop in, which Netflix is rumoured to have paid more than $500 million for.

Source: National Post October 23, 2019 18:45 UTC