Netflix Exhibits That Have Been Boosted By TikTok
With Squid Sport returning for its third and remaining season and Straw persevering with to dominate the charts, now looks like the proper time to highlight certainly one of Netflix’s largest visitors drivers: TikTok. A number of of the streamer’s breakout hits owe their explosive success, partially or totally, to TikTok, the place short-form virality has helped push exhibits and films to world prominence.
Extracting knowledge from TikTok isn’t any straightforward feat. Not like YouTube, which will be tracked by means of websites like SocialBlade, TikTok stays way more opaque. Whereas TikTok’s inside Artistic Middle provides some insights, many of the work comes all the way down to monitoring titles within the Netflix Prime 10 and manually trying to find viral clips on the platform.
Whereas English-language titles profit essentially the most from TikTok, Squid Sport naturally received one of the crucial almighty boosts because of it. The primary week of Squid Sport within the Netflix Prime 10 was a modest begin, corresponding to virtually each different Netflix Authentic collection from the area. It was within the weeks that adopted — after the collection caught hearth on TikTok — that it took off, primarily because of clips of the surprising Crimson Mild Inexperienced Mild sport and the head-turning visible aesthetic. Season 2 additionally noticed a incredible experience on TikTok, with extra lethal video games and T.O.P. carrying the season for the memes.
Second and third week boosts within the Netflix Prime 10s are sometimes the clearest indicators of TikTok-driven viewership, and that was the case with two UK hits: Adolescence and Child Reindeer. Going viral for very totally different causes, every noticed huge surges in viewership in week two and past, turning into a few of Netflix’s largest exhibits.
Let’s put just a few of those examples on a chart. Adolescence, Squid Sport, and Child Reindeer are maybe essentially the most outstanding examples of TikTok boosts, the place you’ll be able to see a sluggish or modest begin that dramatically ramps up over time.
However the actuality is that the majority exhibits within the Netflix Prime 10 have gone viral for one purpose or one other:
- For Wednesday, Jenna Ortega’s dance skyrocketed the present’s reputation.
- For Stranger Issues, the Kate Bush music and varied season 4 clips exploded on TikTok.
- Bridgerton edits, and let’s be trustworthy, thirst traps, picked up tens of millions of views throughout each season.
- Beef received an enormous uplift in its second week because of a number of clips of the present going viral.
It’s a symbiotic relationship. Extra Netflix viewership results in extra folks clipping and posting scenes. In flip, viral TikTok developments usually compel folks to look at simply to be a part of the dialog. Whereas this dynamic exists throughout platforms, TikTok is the undisputed king of the cycle.
The latest instance is STRAW, written and directed by Tyler Perry. It’s trending on TikTok thanks to 2 viral waves: folks sharing their mother and father’ or grandparents’ emotional reactions to the ending, and a clip of Teyana Taylor’s decided stroll, each amassing tens of millions of views.
So, how do we all know there was a TikTok bump? Whereas it’s not an actual science, we will evaluate Netflix viewership knowledge with TikTok’s Artistic Middle. Curiosity within the hashtag #Straw peaked on June 11, proper within the present’s second week. Sometimes, viewership dips after week one, however Straw defied expectations. After debuting with 25.3 million views, it surged by 93% in week two, in good sync with TikTok exercise.
It’s not simply new titles that get the TikTok bump. Older exhibits can re-enter the charts seemingly out of nowhere. One instance is The Girl within the Home Throughout the Road from the Woman within the Window, which skilled a resurgence in July 2023 on account of resurfaced clips. Ginny & Georgia, we’ve documented, additionally had an enormous bump because of some new clips on TikTok going viral.
Is TikTok a Monkey’s Paw for Netflix?
TikTok is an unimaginable promotional engine for Netflix, but in addition a direct competitor. In accordance with Nielsen’s The Gauge, YouTube has been pulling forward of Netflix on TV display time, and TikTok dominates cell.
Regardless of the rivalry, the enterprise fashions differ. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos addressed this immediately in March 2025: “YouTube doesn’t pay creators upfront to make content material, so that they’re doing all of it at their very own danger,” he stated. “Netflix has a higher-quality viewership. Individuals are coming there to look at, relatively than waste time.” He added: “I feel we’re a greater monetization mannequin.”
Netflix Hopes to Replicate TikTok with a New Feed
As a part of its click UI rollout throughout cell and TV, Netflix is reintroducing a vertical video feed — a TikTok- or Reels-style scroll showcasing present clips. Longtime customers could recall Fast Laughs, an earlier experiment centered on comedy. This new iteration will cowl a broader vary of genres.
Netflix’s press demo confirmed off the brand new feed, which visually resembles TikTok — however notably lacks social indicators like likes, shares, or feedback. These indicators drive TikTok’s FOMO and cultural velocity, and it’s unclear if Netflix’s model can replicate that form of engagement.
Whether or not Netflix’s in-app feed can actually drive visitors the way in which TikTok does stays to be seen.
Image: Netflix