Netflix said it would happen and now it finally has. “Squid Game” has become the biggest TV series in the streaming service’s history, and it frankly wasn’t even a close race.
The South Korean-produced thriller has been viewed by 111 million accounts since its Sept. 17 launch. To put that in perspective, the previous record holder was Shonda Rhimes’ “Bridgerton,” which notched views from 82 million accounts within its first 28 days. “Squid Game” is Netflix’s first to reach 100 million viewers within its premiere window.
It should be noted that Netflix counts a view as someone who watched at least two minutes, so we don’t know how many of those 111 million accounts finished the series. But it’s a hit for Netflix nonetheless.
“Squid Game” is currently No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 list in 94 countries, or another way of putting it: The show holds the top spot in every country where Netflix even has a Top 10 list. In the U.S., it’s held the top spot for 21 straight days. Not only is it the first Korean series to land at No. 1, it’s now the longest-running series to hold that spot.
Hwang Dong-hyuk (“The Crucible”) wrote, directed and created “Squid Game,” which centers on a group of 456 people who are in such financial peril that they agree to compete in a series of deadly children’s games. The show, which plays like a cross between “Black Mirror” and “The Hunger Games,” includes Lee Byung-hun (“Terminator Genisys,” “The Magnificent Seven”) and Lee Jung-jae (“City of the Rising Sun”), who built a following outside South Korea, as well as local stars like Park Hae-soo, O Yeong-su, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, Hao Sung-tae and Kim Joo-ryoung.
Since the show’s debut, Jung Ho-yeon has become the most popular Korean actress on Instagram with more than 13 million followers.
CNN first reported the viewership stats for “Squid Game.”