# Why does Netflix care if I watch anything at all? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917 "2022-02-04T18:01:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/21 "2022-02-04T21:27:31Z")
I just canceled my streaming Netflix after about 1.5 years of subscribing. I was surprised when I joined, having moved from DVD Netflix to streaming, in that they were sending me messages essentially saying “we expect you’ll cancel soon, so just give it a try for a while.” What? But after 1.5 years, I’m tired of so much new content that just doesn’t “work” for me, e.g. space dramas full of annoyingly wrong plot points and incorrect portrayals of technology. The existing movies and historical dramas are actually OK but not worth ~$10 per month. And I have finished watching both seasons of The Witcher (actually interesting to me). Time to cancel. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/22 "2022-02-04T21:31:23Z")
Good timing. They just announced a rise in prices. I’m thinking of cancelling myself; I’ve mostly been watching other streaming services. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/23 "2022-02-04T21:40:50Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten an email like that from Netflix. I am also confused as to just what the OP is talking about. I don’t know what they mean by “trying to keep my eyes glued to their content.” ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/24 "2022-02-04T21:58:38Z")
1. When I log into Netflix there is always a preview playing (with audio). 2. Whenever I finish watching a movie or series another movie or the next episode will start playing before the credits finish. 3. About 6 months ago I started getting a small Netflix pop up ad whenever my computer wakes up ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/25 "2022-02-04T22:19:39Z")
It is set up to keep running shows in a binge unless you opt out. When a show ends it sets up to keep watching and allows you to skip credits. it shows a weird interest in keeping you watching until the last epi of a series has been streamed. It reminds you to finish a series. It has the feel of shows being pushed at you and you wonder what’s the motive. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/26 "2022-02-04T22:20:36Z")
I think you can opt out of the first two and maybe the third. Certainly you can opt out of the audio. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/27 "2022-02-04T22:38:35Z")
Yes, I opted out of 1 & 2. Re #3, I don’t get any popups from Netflix. I don’t have cable, only a RokuTV-- would that matter? When my TV wakes up, it’s on the home screen with tiles, not in any one app. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/28 "2022-02-04T23:03:24Z")
Of course. My question was why do they care if I watch. (Which has probably been answered.) ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/29 "2022-02-04T23:06:01Z")
It just doesn’t particularly bother me, at least not enough to do anything more than just delete them as they come in. And I do like getting the reminders that I’ve signed up for about upcoming series and movies when they become available. But I can definitely understand how someone could find it annoying and intrusive. Plus, as @2_More_Bits mentions, the in-app autoplaying previews and the auto-jump to the next episode or a recommended movie as soon as the credits start, which I _do_ find annoying and intrusive. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/30 "2022-02-04T23:26:02Z")
I cancelled Netflix last year when I realized I had barely watched it in months. I spend most of my streaming time on Hulu, Amazon, and Discovery Plus. They didn’t seem to notice that I wasn’t watching, and didn’t seem to care that I cancelled. There was no verbiage begging me to reconsider, no “Are you sure?” button … nothing. Maybe they figure I’ll come crawling back eventually. I suppose that’s possible, but I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/31 "2022-02-04T23:38:02Z")
That’s why I answered the second post and not the OP. Still not sure I know though. Unless it’s a $ thing having to do with the content producers. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/32 "2022-02-04T23:41:17Z")
You are not the customer, you are the product being harvested for money. That is worth much more for them than displaying movies. That part of the business is practically free to them. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/33 "2022-02-04T23:58:55Z")
Do you mean they are harvesting your data for profit? How does it work? ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/34 "2022-02-05T00:08:25Z")
He’s incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/35 "2022-02-05T00:48:10Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > It is set up to keep running shows in a binge unless you opt out. When a show ends it sets up to keep watching and allows you to skip credits. it shows a weird interest in keeping you watching until the last epi of a series has been streamed. It reminds you to finish a series. > > It has the feel of shows being pushed at you and you wonder what’s the motive Oh OK, yes I get that too. I didn’t know what the OP was referring to. That doesn’t seem weird to me, I love the autoplay to next episode feature, I usually watch several at once and it’s so nice to just let it play by itself without having to go back out and select the next episode. Most streaming services do that, it’s not anything special with Netflix. However I hate when it does that at the end of a _movie_. Movies aren’t normally something people binge watch and I am not going to immediately watch a second movie in one go. I usually want to see the credits for a movie anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/36 "2022-02-05T02:25:51Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > You are not the customer, you are the product being harvested for money. That’s true of free services like Facebook. It is not true of paid subscription services like Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/37 "2022-02-05T02:32:51Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > I just canceled my streaming Netflix after about 1.5 years of subscribing. I was surprised when I joined, having moved from DVD Netflix to streaming, in that they were sending me messages essentially saying “we expect you’ll cancel soon, so just give it a try for a while.” What? > > But after 1.5 years, I’m tired of so much new content that just doesn’t “work” for me, e.g. space dramas full of annoyingly wrong plot points and incorrect portrayals of technology. The existing movies and historical dramas are actually OK but not worth ~$10 per month. And I have finished watching both seasons of The Witcher (actually interesting to me). Time to cancel. Are you familiar with Cobra Kai? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2022, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/38 "2022-02-05T02:37:48Z")
Not to mention Elite, El Marginal, To The Lake and more ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/39 "2022-02-06T02:50:20Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > I assume too there’s some revenue sharing? So watching something they made - like _Ozark_ - means they don’t have to pay the movie studio a little extra every time someone watches that Hollywood blockbuster on Netflix instead. I don’t think Netflix uses a revenue sharing model with production companies. They license the content once for whatever term and that’s it. Pretty sure, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/40 "2022-02-06T17:24:59Z")
Whether it’s emails or app notifications, you should be able to turn those off. It seems all the big streaming services have them as their default, hoping to keep you interested in their content lest you unsubsvribe. But they also know that it can annoy people, and give the motivated people the ability to turn it off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917.md?page=3)