# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/41 "2022-02-06T18:44:23Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I’m sure Netflix would love it if you gave them money and didn’t watch anything. Gym memberships often work on that model. > [The Planet Money Workout : Planet Money : NPR](https://www.npr.org/2019/06/12/731987365/episode-590-the-planet-money-workout) I’m going to guess that more people aspire to use the gym than aspire to sit on their ass and watch TV. Netflix is more likely to retain subscribers who enjoy the service. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/42 "2022-02-06T18:48:56Z")
> [@2\_More\_Bits](#): > > 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 I turned off 1 and 2. I’ve never gotten 3, but if i did, i would certainly figure out how to turn it off. I love Netflix, and watch it several hours most weeks. But i like it to know its place. 😉 I do get a little more email than i want from them, telling me what they are offering that they think I’ll like. I’ve considered opting out of that, but it’s only a little more than i want, so I haven’t, yet. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/43 "2022-02-06T19:40:47Z")
Netflix are obsessed with churn. Churn being the rate at which subscribers drop the service. Netflix rarely publish customer numbers and when they do they often use unique metrics that might show them in a more flattering light. However their CEO occasionally gives away some insight. Monthly customer churn was 10% when Netflix was young. In 2005, they had reduced that to 4.5%. By 2019 it was a little under 2%. They have clearly been working hard on this. And it explains why the Netflix homescreen is like a discovery portal that plays promos whenever you hover on a title. The churn rate actually makes a huge difference to the number of paying customers. Let’s say Netflix were to attract 100,000 new customer every month. With a 0% monthly churn that would bring them 1,200,000 new customers per year. Over three years that’s 3.6m. But with a monthly churn of 10%, in three years, you’d have held only around 975k of those 3.6m subscribers - just 27%. With a 4.5% churn you would keep only about half of your new subscribers. This is why Netflix care about you watching. Because people who don’t watch become churners. @Limmin is a churner! ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/44 "2022-02-06T20:18:37Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Can you explain? How is Netflix trying to keep your eyes glued? I believe the OP was speaking literally. The Netflix goons came to his house with a bottle of Elmer’s Glue… ---
**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 6, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/45 "2022-02-06T20:40:34Z")
…and toothpicks, I presume? ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/46 "2022-02-06T20:49:33Z")
More Clockwork Orange style. [![](https://res.cloudinary.com/the-take/image/fetch/f_auto/w_720,h_405,c_fill/https://the-take.com/images/uploads/screenprism/_constrain-720w/A_Clockwork_Orange_Title.jpg) ](https://res.cloudinary.com/the-take/image/fetch/f_auto/w_720,h_405,c_fill/https://the-take.com/images/uploads/screenprism/_constrain-720w/A_Clockwork_Orange_Title.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/47 "2022-02-06T20:55:57Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > @Limmin is a churner! That’s right. Churn and burn. …although lately I’m having second thoughts and might un-cancel. Why? Because the 4th season of Disenchantment is about to start up, within this February. What’s “Disenchantment?” It’s the 3rd major animated series from Matt Groening. Who? The guy who gave us The Simpsons and Futurama. I _adore_ Disenchantment. It’s a spoof on life, based this time on fantasy tropes. And there are some inside jokes in there that date all they way back to his 1980’s comic strips “Life in Hell.” Score another one for Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/48 "2022-02-07T13:43:22Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > And it explains why the Netflix homescreen is like a discovery portal that plays promos whenever you hover on a title. And this is why, despite paying for Netflix, I acquire what I want to watch locally so that I can watch it on Plex instead of Netflix directly. (In some places this is illegal, despite paying for the content, so don’t follow my example before checking your local laws.) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2022, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/49 "2022-02-08T06:23:40Z")
Netflix doesn’t hassle me, maybe because I watch on PS4. It definitely has the best UI of the streaming networks I have - others are Amazon and local service Showmax (which carries some HBO and Hulu stuff). ---
**Author:** ![Danger\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2022, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917/50 "2022-02-08T08:40:35Z")
Just a tip if you are bothered with Netflix autoplay > **[Annoyed When Netflix Trailers Play Automatically? Turn Them Off](https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/annoyed-how-netflix-trailers-play-automatically-turn-them-off/)** > > You can stop Netflix previews from starting every time you load the app. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-netflix-care-if-i-watch-anything-at-all/958917.md?page=2)