Back in 2019, Netflix released data claiming that 45 million accounts – nearly a third of its total subscribers – had streamed the Sandra Bullock thriller Bird Box in its first week on the platform, a record for a Netflix film.
At face value that statistic was extraordinary. All things being equal, had the Susanne Bier-directed film been released in cinemas, it would have racked up nearly half a billion pounds in just one week based on an average ticket price of £10.
That record has since been surpassed by the 2021 comedy action movie Red Notice, which notched up 328.8 million viewing hours and has been seen by over 50 percent of all Netflix users. As reported by Screencrush, Bird Box took four weeks to rack up its 282 million viewing hours. In contrast, Red Notice surpassed that total in just 18 days.
It was proof of the soaring demand to stream movies at home and equally of the importance to streamers of securing original must-see content.
As for the effect on traditional moviegoing…
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.
.jpg)
Sir Gary Oldman: “There’s an anxiety going into any project”
With the Edinburgh TV Festival’s Global Icon Award in hand, Sir Gary Oldman delivered a candid acceptance speech, revealing how his unique techniques, mindset, and early experiences in the industry brought his most iconic roles to life.
.jpg)
Innovation Awards: Social Impact finalists deep dive
From UN-led dialogues on AI safety and ethics to automatic broadcast-grade sign language for live streaming, the Social Impact category is a tight race. Fergal Ringrose, Chair of Judges for the IBC Innovation Awards, analyses the judging panel’s top three competitors.
.jpg)
Workflow transformation: “AI should be for reliability, not creativity”
With AI’s potential reach in broadcast and media growing all the time, David Davies speaks to leading companies about their adventures in AI and uncovers why they believe the greatest potential resides in humans’ full creative control over the new toolsets.
.jpg)
IBC Content Everywhere: AI gets a reality check
From increasingly sophisticated monetisation strategies to progressively flexible business models, Content Everywhere companies map AI’s influence on the media industry and reveal their technological forecasts for IBC2026.
.jpg)
Content Everywhere stages: Groundbreaking tech and real-world results converge
IBC2026’s Content Everywhere hub in Hall 5 will host nearly 200 exhibitors showcasing multi-platform delivery and monetisation innovations, alongside two stages of panel discussions and live demonstrations.
