Netflix has launched a new spoiler site to satiate the viewers’ desire for and love of spoilers. Last month, the streaming media giant launched a new site, “Living With Spoilers,” as part of its promotion campaign that is aimed at removing the stigma of spoiling TV shows. Moreover, the site features a number of interactive components that should amuse and delight TV fans, including a wide variety of video clips which viewers can watch and comment on while indulging their desire for more information about TV, movies, etc.
Netflix’s model could be perceived as spoiler bait by placing an entire series online at once so users can watch at their own discretion. The new spoiler site may be a way to encourage communication among fans who have all watched the same show and are excited to share their thoughts and opinions in a safe place.
Netflix’s launch of the “Living With Spoilers” site is also part of a promotion the company incorporated into the launch of the Fall 2014 TV season. Additionally, the streaming service has also commissioned a study to explore viewers’ shifting attitudes regarding TV and found that people care far less about spoilers than they have in the past.
According to the recent survey, approximately 20 percent of Americans contend it is OK to share plot twists right after they are viewed, and nearly 94 percent of respondents said they would not stop watching a TV series even if they heard spoilers about the show. Moreover, other respondents surveyed said they became more interested in watching a show they did not plan to watch if they heard spoilers (13 percent), though nearly 55 percent still said that if people are talking about plot twists, they should use some form of coded language.
This Netflix-commissioned study lends credence to the concept that the perception of spoilers has changed over time. Originally, spoilers were viewed as harmful or detrimental to shows. Now, however, they are viewed just the opposite. In fact, the current consensus is that spoilers have proven to be good promotional and recruitment tools for shows. They can help draw new viewers and display the vested interest of fans in a show, movie, etc.
The results of Netflix’s online survey are further proof of the seismic shift in television viewing habits, due in large part to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Moreover, consumers are spending much more time each month watching video on the Internet, which has increased nearly 65 percent for 2014, according to reports.
Now that Netflix has launched their new spoiler site, viewers will be able to indulge their fascination for extra tidbits and behind-the-screens information. Many industry insiders and viewers alike consider television to be in a new golden age. Additionally, TVs, tablets, and desktops are jam-packed with an abundance of programming options from a variety of sources, thanks in part to technology and services that allow viewers to watch on their own terms. Moreover, Netflix and other streaming services are spending more money on original programming, and they are also enabling consumers to binge-watch shows, movies, and series at their own pace. This new broadcast model was proven very successful with Netflix original programming projects, such as Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards.
By Leigh Haugh
Sources:
New York Times
Huffington Post
Business Insider