Amazon is notoriously private with their Prime Video viewing numbers. Much like Netflix, and other streaming services, Amazon likes to keep their numbers to themselves, with the only hint of a series’ success being whether it is canceled or picked up for subsequent seasons. Reuters recently obtained leaked Amazon documents, revealing several key numbers to the public for the first time, giving the people their first peek behind the curtain at what type of ratings their original programming is getting.
Amazon’s original video content brought in five million new members to its prime service early on in 2017. Total U.S. Prime Video members equate to around 26 million. Perhaps most surprising, however, is Amazon’s “secret” formula with how they hook viewers onto Prime and, subsequently, turn them into shoppers. Though, it may not be quite as secret as it seems.
“When we win a Golden Globe, it helps us sell more shoes.” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said, recently.
Apparently, the formula is as follows: The first Prime Video show that viewers watch, Amazon considers one of the main reasons they joined the streaming service. The company calculates the total number of people who watched a given show first after subscribing, divided by the total budget. That number is called, the”cost per first stream,” or basically the price to hook a Prime customer. In order for a show to be successful, it just needs to draw more new subscribers than the show costs.
According to the documents, “The Man in the High Castle” had 8 million people watch its first season, more than most “The Walking Dead” episodes in its most recent season. Since that show had 1.15 additional viewers, and cost $72 million to make, the cost per first stream is approximately $63, and the average cost of a subscription for a viewer in the U.S. is $99.
Perhaps the least surprising fact revealed in the document is that high brow shows haven’t necessarily translated into new Prime Video subscribers as well as others. In certain aspects, perhaps Bezos wasn’t exactly spot on in saying that awards sell. This might explain why the streaming company is looking towards big properties like “The Lord of the Rings” to help bring in more subscribers. It also explains why critically-acclaimed shows like “One Mississippi” and “I Love Dick” are quickly canceled, without explanation.
The moral of the story is simple – if you’re a discerning TV viewer and want quality shows from Amazon, make sure you watch the shows you enjoy and immediately buy some toilet paper or shoes. Because, as we now know, it doesn’t matter how many awards the company wins for their program, it’s how many packages that come to your front door that determines a show’s success.
