Netflix has canceled a bunch of series

If you're wondering why Netflix terminated your favorite series while you were certain the story wasn't over and the show was highly popular, there's a rational answer.

Netflix has lately canceled a number of shows, including 1899, The Midnight Club, Resident Evil, and Warrior Nun, despite positive reviews and very high total hours watched numbers.

Many Netflix subscribers are confused, not understanding why popular shows have been canceled while other, less popular series have been authorized for the next season.

According to Forbes, one of the most crucial factors in Netflix's decision to cancel or renew a series is a metric known as "completion rate," which calculates how many people completed the series.

While the total number of hours watched indicates how long the audience spent watching the series, the completion rate indicates if those figures will translate into a robust fan base for future seasons.

Forbes gives the example of First Kill, which was canceled after its first season despite having more hours of viewing than Heartstopper, which was renewed for two more seasons.

While viewers spent far more time watching First Kill, it appears that only roughly 44% of them finished the series, whereas 73% of Heartstopper viewers watched until the final episode.

They believe that the completion rate criterion for a Netflix series to be renewed is 50%, yet celebrated programs like 1899 had a lower percentage and were terminated as a result.

Understandably, the streaming giant does not want to spend money on new seasons of programs if the bulk of the viewers did not even make it to the end of the current one.

While the timing of a series' completion may be an important element in Netflix's choice to maintain or delete a series, other considerations are considered. If the show's overall viewership or ratings are low, it's unlikely to be renewed, even if those who watched it made it to the end.

Post by Bryan C.