‘Lost in Space’ had 1.2 million binge watchers in its first 3 days
By Wade Wainio
It seems Lost in Space is a successful ratings’ grabber, even if not the biggest giant in Netflix’s lineup. The big question: Will viewership expand or contract?
Going by the Nielson ratings’ system, Lost in Space is a relatively successful series, garnering 6.3 million US viewers in its first month. How did it do in the first 3 days?
On average, people watched it for a solid 2.5 hours. However, a solid 1.2 million folks watched the entire series during that time. Given that each episode is about 45-50 minutes, that is roughly 7.5 hours out 72. Although Netflix shows like Stranger Things get more viewers, it seems this sci-fi “reboot” is on solid ground to continue for a while.
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Netflix does not publicly release its numbers, so Nielson has relied on estimates based on their VOD Content Ratings, and the Nielsen Digital Voice (a content tracking system that computer users sign up for).
Also, it’s only designed to track viewership within the United States. One can only guess how well the show has done outside the US. It’s entirely plausible for a TV show — or any avenue of entertainment — to fare better outside of America.
Will People Keep Watching ‘Lost in Space?
It’s hard to assess a show’s potential, based solely on ratings during a given time. An obvious example would be the TV show Family Guy, which was originally canceled in 2002. That show was brought back from the dead in 2004, due to successful DVD sales and high ratings in syndication on Adult Swim.
Now it has over 15 seasons and has been nominated for 24 Emmy Awards, with seven wins. Another example would be Mystery Science Theater 3000, which Netflix brought back in 2017 after it had been canceled twice.
So, obviously, a ratings’ system — or a network itself — might underestimate a show.
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Lost in Space appears to be safe. In the long term, one of the big factors of its success will be the writing. If the story grabs enough people, and the characters develop, it could hypothetically be a long-lasting show.
It may not be every critic’s darling, particularly in a highly politicized media climate, but it can still hang in there and draw enough viewers for financial stability.