Too Much TV: Netflix's Useless Metric About Anime Viewers
Netflix is the expert at releasing vague datapoints they know will get headlines
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, July 7th 2025:
PRODUCTION NOTES
This week is likely to bring these newsletters a bit earlier or later than normal, depending on the day. Tomorrow, my beloved Chicago Cubs are in town for the beginning a three-day stand against the Minnesota Twins, and my family will be headed out to watch them win. Thursday and Friday, I'll be attending SRCCON 2025, which bills itself as "a peer-led conference from OpenNews for journalists who want to transform their work, their organizations, and their communities."
While I am not in the local news space, there will be a number of other independent journalists there discussing their work and their newsletters. I'm looking forward to learning some things and perhaps doing a bit of mild bragging. Having more than 125,000 daily free subscribers certainly puts me in a unique category.
Tomorrow, I'll be posting an incredibly fascinating conversation with Ron Cohen, SVP of Practice Leadership at Claritas and Mike Bloxham, EVP of Global Media and Entertainment at Magid. They walked me through their partnership, which can provide streamers, networks and other industry players with a rather astounding amount of information about what people watch, why they watch it and what it takes to keep them as subscribers.
For instance, here is one of the slides that breaks down F1 fans into segments that have some near-scary specifics:
I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO DISCUSS THIS
Every entertainment news outlet had a piece today discussing Netflix's comments that "more than half of Netflix subscribers watch anime." Netflix is an expert at doling at vague factoids that make for an easy headline, and this one was no different.
One of the reasons I didn't want to discuss this story - and this is a bit of inside baseball - is that Netflix sent a press release out to critics with the comment above, and touting its new anime slate, which was announced at Anime Expo 2025. And where should we go to find out details about the anime slate? The press release sends critics over to its house entertainment news site Tudum, which somehow managed to get the exclusive.
I'll post more about the titles in the coming days. But as I have mentioned before, things are tough enough for entertainment journalists without having to compete with streamer-owned outlets that are given information ahead of the rest of the press. I like a lot of what Netflix does, but this practice infuriates me beyond measure.
As for the comment about the percentage of subscribers watching anime, it's worth noting the statement doesn't break down anime engagement by country or territory. Anime is wildly popular in Asia and I wouldn't be surprised to see the viewing percentage in that region get into the 80% range. I don't think the United States is near the 50% point, although I suspect it also has a lot to do with what titles Netflix considers to be "anime."
Still, this is a genre that is a lot more popular than many people in the United States realize and it's also a genre that doesn't receive a lot of coverage in the traditional entertainment press.
ANOTHER FRENCH LINEAR BROADCASTER CUTS A STREAMING DEAL
You might remember that a couple of weeks ago, French broadcaster TF1 announced a deal with Netflix for carriage of its live linear broadcasts, along with on-demand library access. Now a second French broadcaster has signed a carriage deal with a global streamer, albeit with different terms.
France Télévisions, the French public broadcaster, has signed a deal with Prime Video which would allow that streamer's subscribers in France to access live linear feeds for France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, and France Info, along with on-demand content. Although unlike the Netflix deal, Prime Video subscribers will have to pay an additional fee to watch the channels.
GRAPHIC OF THE DAY
THE DEATH OF THE DOCUMENTARY
Ed Sayer in his newsletter
I’m starting to find that modern documentaries are boring. Yes, they’re polished. Yes, they’re expensive and yes their stories are often powerful. But it’s not enough and it’s not the stories that are at fault - it’s the way we deliver them. All our premium docs look fantastic but all of that gloss comes at a cost that’s not just financial.
What we’re losing is authenticity. The more stylised the image, the less it feels like real life. The more prime lens depth-of-field and drone swoops we use, the more we signal to the audience that what they’re watching isn’t quite the truth - it’s a stylised construction.
That’s the paradox: we’re spending more money to make things look beautiful, to signal to viewers how they should be feeling in a moment. We’re trying so hard to differentiate ourselves in the competition between YouTube and traditional TV that we’re making our content feel less real in the process.
Documentary used to feel unpredictable. It was messy. Grainy. Sometimes ugly but it pulsed with immediacy. Now, too many documentaries feel like they’ve been designed by committee, colour-graded into submission, and spat out with a melancholy score and pre-approved moral arc.
You should read the entire thing.
REPORT: 42% OF USERS BELIEVE THEY ARE SPENDING TOO MUCH ON STREAMING SERVICES
According to the Global Streaming Study 2025 from consultancy firm Simon-Kucher, 42 per cent of users believe they are spending too much on streaming platforms.
The study, based on data from over 12,000 users across 11 countries, reveals that 88 per cent are consuming the same or more streaming content compared to 2024 – a trend that remains stable year on year. Despite this, subscription fatigue is becoming evident: 35 per cent of users say they plan to cancel at least one service within the next 12 months. Nearly half (48 per cent) of those considering cancellations say they would stay if cheaper, ad-supported options were available.
Social media is emerging as a significant competitor. Globally, 37% of users say platforms like TikTok, Instagram,and YouTube are eating into the time they previously spent on streaming services. In countries such as Spain and Sweden, this figure has risen from 29% in 2024 to 36% in 2025. Among users under 40, nearly half view social platforms as a viable alternative to traditional streaming. In highly digital markets – such as India and Singapore – these numbers jump to 72% and 56%, respectively.
ODDS AND SODS
* Amazon has confirmed that Freevee, its stand-alone free streaming TV service, will close in August, with its content being absorbed into Prime Video.
* The German-produced Netflix original film She Said Maybe premieres Friday, September 19th. Here's the official logline: "From Hamburg to Istanbul: German-raised Mavi discovers she's part of a wealthy Turkish dynasty, entering a glamorous world that tests her relationship." And here is a first look at the trailer.
* Season three of Alice In Borderland will premiere Thursday, September 25th on Netflix. Here is the official logline: " In the previous season, Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) cleared all of the games and returned to the real world. They have since gotten married and established a happy life together. Their memories of the borderland were erased, but they see glimpses of it in dreams and hallucinations. One day, Usagi, led by afterlife researcher Ryuji (Kento Kaku), suddenly vanishes. At the same time as Usagi's disappearance, Banda (Haya ToIsomura) hands Arisu the final card: the Joker." And here is a first look at the season three trailer.
* Demascus, the sci-fi comedy series from playwright Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm and Better Call Saul executive producer Mark Johnson will finally premiere two years after being sidelined by AMC Networks. Tubi will premiere the six-episode series on Thursday, August 7th. Here is the official logline: "Demascus follows Demascus (Okieriete Onaodowan, Station 19), a Black man who goes on a journey of self-discovery using an experimental reality-bending technology. The series is a comedic, genre-defying, coming-of-age story that explores the gulf between Black male perspectives."
* The South Korean streamer Corea+ is coming to Mexico, which is its first Latin American territory.
* Whitney Purvis, who appeared in the first season of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant back in 2009, was arrested in Georgia Monday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection to a fatal overdose. According to court documents, Purvis is accused of contributing to the death of a man named John Mark Harris in February by distributing to him the combination of Fentanyl and Xylazine – known as Tranq.
* Hotel Costiera premieres Wednesday, September 24th on Prime Video. Here is the official logline: "Daniel De Luca (Jesse Williams) is a half Italian former U.S. marine who returns to Italy, the land of his childhood, as a fixer in one of the world’s most luxurious hotels, located on the spectacular coastline of Positano. In addition to dealing with the hotel's wealthy guests’ problems, Daniel is also on the trail of Alice, one of the owner's daughters who disappeared a month earlier. Daniel must do everything he can to bring her home, but facing those who kidnapped the girl will be more challenging than any problem Daniel has ever faced."
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND
TUESDAY, JULY 8TH:
* A Couple Of Cuckoos (Crunchyroll)
* Better Late Than Single Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Evict My Kid (A&E)
* Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta Season Premiere (MTV)
* Mr. Osomatsu (Crunchyroll)
* Nate Jackson: Super Funny (Netflix)
* Quarterback Season Premiere (Netflix)
* Renaissance: The Blood And The Beauty (PBS)
* Simple Plan: The Kids In The Crowd (Prime Video)
* Something Undone Series Premiere (MHz Choice)
* The Ex-Wife (BritBox)
* Trainwreck: The Real Project X (Netflix)
* Turkey! Time To Strike Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9TH:
* Ballard Series Premiere (Prime Video)
* Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind Series Premiere (E!)
* Building The Band Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Celebrity IOU Season Premiere (HGTV)
* Dealing With Mikadono Sisters Is A Breeze Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
* It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season Seventeen Premiere (FX)
* I Was Reincarnated As The 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability (Crunchyroll)
* Menem (Prime Video)
* People & Places (Disney+)
* Team Players Series Premiere (Hulu)
* The Gringo Hunters Series Premiere (Netflix)
* The Rising Of The Shield Hero (Crunchyroll)
* Under A Dark Sun Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Ziam (Netflix)
SEE YOU ON TUESDAY!