Binge-watching is no longer relegated to the family room, and Netflix viewers are chilling in some unusual places, according to a new study released last week by the streaming service.
The study found that 67 percent of its users are viewing in public — with 37 percent admitting to bingeing at work and 12 percent confessing to watching in public restrooms.
Last year, Netflix introduced the ability to download TV shows and movies directly to our devices, making bingeing fan favorites, like “Stranger Things,” “Narcos,” “Luke Cage” and more, easier than ever. However, watching unabashedly does come with risks — that is, over-the-shoulder viewers.
In fact, 45 percent of those surveyed claimed they have caught someone eyeing their screen. Only 18 percent admitted to being embarrassed by the incident. After all, the survey did find that 11 percent of respondents had a series spoiled for them because they were snooping themselves.
It doesn’t stop there, though. The streaming giant — which conducted the survey of 37,000 subscribers between late August and early September — also found that 1 in 10 adults has missed a bus or train stop due to streaming, 20 percent have admitted to crying while watching in public and 35 percent had a stranger interrupt their show to start a conversation about it.
While the report didn’t indicate if those people were bothered by the inturruption, Eddy Wu, the director of production innovation for Netflix said that “Netflixing in public has become a social norm.”
So, if you ever felt guilty about bingeing on the go, just know you’re not the only one — and you might even make a friend in the process.
Netflixing In public
New survey data reveals that thousands of Netflix users will risk embarrassment, awkwardness and spoilers to watch TV and movies in public. Here are some of the streaming giant’s latest numbers on the trend:
77% — Users who are unwilling to turn off their show or movie.
67% — Subscribers who watch Netflix in public.
65% — Bingers who have laughed out loud while streaming.
45% — Watchers who claim to have caught someone eyeing their screen.
37% — Viewers who admitted to bingeing at work.
35% — Users who had a stranger interrupt their show to start a conversation about it.
20% — Bingers who have admitted to crying while watching in public.
18% — Subscribers who have felt embarrassed about what they’re watching.
17% — Viewers who were so engrossed in a show or movie that they missed their stop on their commute.
12% — Watchers who confess to streaming from a public restroom.
11% — Bingers who had a series spoiled for them after snooping at another person’s screen.
Information provided by the Netflix Media Center.
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