If you’re always watching your Netflix on a tablet on the go, you might just be a Finnish preschooler.
Scott Mirer, Netflix’s vice president of device partnerships, on Wednesday gave reporters a broad snapshot of how Netflix’s global subscriber base is streaming by device type, country, mobile versus Wi-Fi connection, genre — even by the type of content at certain times of certain days in certain countries.
Netflix usage on mobile networks versus WiFi connections varies by country.
Netflix is secretive about how many people are watching its originals, much to the chagrin of traditional Hollywood. But during Labs Day, a press junket that brings journalists from more than 30 countries to its Los Gatos, California, headquarters for deep dives into its service — Netflix littered its presentations with data about how its 117 million subscribers use the service.
Globally throughout the day, Netflix users’ streaming on mobile networks hovers near or below 25 percent of total streaming. But places like Finland are nearly an inverse of the norm: At certain points during the day, mobile usage approaches 75 percent of streaming compared with Wi-Fi. Mexico, on the other hand, streams almost all its Netflix over a Wi-Fi connection. Countries like South Korea have mobile peaks during commuting hours, and France watches on phones while en route to work and at lunch.
Televisions are the most popular screen for streaming Netflix, but device preference varies by genre.
Joan E. Solsman/CNETTV remains the device where most Netflix streaming occurs, but the full breakdown of streaming by devices varies by genre. Kids content is watched on tablets more so than other types of programming. Sci-fi tends to stream to computers.
Preference for movies versus television also changes throughout the day. Generally, members gravitate to movies on weekend evenings. But in Sweden and Canada during the winter, subscribers are more likely to watch a movie in the evening than elsewhere.
Mirer said that because the US is about 50 percent of its members, Netflix’s global averages are mostly reflective of US patterns.
The Smartest Stuff: Innovators are thinking up new ways to make you, and the things around you, smarter.
Apple: See what’s up with the tech giant as it readies new iPhones and more.
