What’s Behind the Netflix Games Player Count Problem?

It seems that in spite of the hype that we (and many others) are throwing behind some of Netflix’s increasingly impressive games library, the streaming giant is struggling to hit the mark with its audience. Because, all things considered, the Netflix Games player count is pretty low.

As part of Netflix’s financial report for 2021, the company gave the following statement: “We’re excited as ever about our movies and TV series offering and we expect a long runway of increasing investment and growth across all of our existing content categories, but since we are nearly a decade into our push into original programming, we think the time is right to learn more about how our members value games.”

Well, Netflix Games have been on the app gaming scene for over eight months, and it seems the answer to how members value their games is…not much. According to data from Apptopia obtained by CNBC, the combined daily Netflix Games player count across 26 games is 1.7 million.

Given that their library is only accessible to people with a Netflix subscription, this means that just 0.7% of Netflix’s 220 million subscribers are indulging in the ad-free and generally acclaimed titles in their app gaming library. So what gives?

The intuitive response is that Netflix users are too busy binging their favorite shows to be hopping into a mobile game. If you’ve ever been locked into one of Netflix’s many, many true crime documentaries then you’ll know the feeling – nothing can tear your attention away from that ‘Next Episode’ button.

But these are also early days for Netflix Gaming. Aiming for the wrong demographic may be a thorn in their side in years to come. But to Netflix’s credit, they are still in the process of beefing out their library with some absolute powerhouses in the app game market. Before Your Eyes, Into the Breach and, of course, Stranger Things are just a few of the critically acclaimed titles Netflix subscribers can play completely ad-free.

We suspect the problem is both time and marketing. For such a big player, it’s a surprise that Netflix aren’t marketing their mobile games more in their primary platform and through other advertising channels. However, there is a good chance that those stats seem more doom and gloom than they really are, and that the streaming superstars are just waiting to bolster their app gaming portfolio before making the big marketing push to acquire players.

But whether Netflix can bolster its offerings to such a degree that it will start bringing in app gamers in search of a decent games subscription on par with Apple Arcade before the streaming service decides to scrap the initiative altogether remains to be seen.