{
  "id": 16504074,
  "title": "Netflix users watch less and open the app less often",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/netflix-users-watch-less-and-open-the-app-less-often",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-25T16:53:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/netflix-users-are-watching-less-not-opening-the-app-as-often/articleshow/135194861.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Netflix users are watching the streaming service less frequently and for shorter periods, a trend that has raised concerns for the world's most valuable entertainment company, based on information from individuals familiar with the matter. Customers are opening the app on fewer days of the month compared to a couple of years ago, according to these people, who requested anonymity as the data is confidential. Netflix measures app usage through a metric called QPD, or qualified play days, which indicates how often users engage with the platform. The average customer is also watching less content, as each individual's viewing time has decreased despite the overall time on the app increasing slightly due to a larger customer base. This decline has raised concerns among Netflix leadership, who started to worry after implementing password sharing restrictions in 2022. The trend has persisted, suggesting that people may be finding less value in the service or opting for competitors instead. To counteract this, Netflix has increased its programming budget and expanded into new categories such as podcasts and live sports. However, the company has not commented on internal metrics. Netflix's co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, acknowledged that viewership in the US is not growing as rapidly as desired, though he noted that the company is performing well outside the US and has a robust business model. The decline in usage has been relatively mild and not resulted in mass cancellations, with Netflix's churn rate in the US remaining steady at 2%, according to Antenna, a research firm. Despite the slowdown, Netflix's share of TV viewing in the US has remained stagnant as more people turn to free services like YouTube. The company reported slower than expected revenue growth for the third consecutive quarter and projected further slowdown in the current quarter, causing its shares to drop by about 29% this year. Netflix has struggled to produce enough new hit TV shows and films and attract viewers to second and third seasons of existing titles. Netflix executives have identified various factors contributing to the decline in usage, including a new user interface, increased competition, inferior programming, and insufficient marketing efforts outside the service. Apptopia, a firm that tracks mobile app usage, reported a 16.6% increase in the share of US subscribers who didn't open the app in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the previous year. Netflix's leadership has attempted to alleviate investor concerns by emphasizing the company's strong financial performance and promising programming lineup. However, the company addressed its challenges in the US by changing leadership, firing Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, film chief Dan Lin, and cutting 6% of its staff. Peter Rice, a former executive at Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox, will now lead Netflix's content strategy.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}