Netflix has just shared some cool info about what shows and movies people are watching the most. They released data on almost all of their stuff, so we can see which ones are super popular. The show that got the most views in the first half of this year was a political thriller called The Night Agent. People from all over the world spent a total of 812 million hours watching it! This is a big deal because Netflix used to keep this info private, but now they’re being more open about it.

Netflix thinks that sharing this viewer data is a big step forward for them and the whole industry. They hope it’ll help creators and the industry understand their audiences better. In the past, people in Hollywood would rely on a company called Nielsen for viewer data, but that was just for regular TV. Netflix’s new report ranks 18,000 shows and movies based on how many hours people watched them from January to June of this year. They plan to release this report every six months and it covers almost 100 billion hours of viewing time!

The report also showed that about a third of all the stuff people watch on Netflix is in a language other than English. And guess what? People still like watching older shows and movies too! The most popular movie on Netflix was called The Mother and it was watched for over 249 million hours. Netflix wants to make it clear that success on their platform isn’t just about how many hours something is watched, but also about how much people liked it and how many people watched it compared to how much it cost to make.

Netflix is the biggest streaming service in the world with almost 250 million subscribers. Since 2021, they’ve been sharing weekly lists of the most-watched stuff, both in English and other languages. More than half of the stuff they released this year made it onto those lists. The report also showed that 55% of what people watch on Netflix is their own original stuff, while the other 45% is stuff they bought from other companies. Last year, Netflix started a service with ads, so they need to be more open about how popular their stuff is for advertisers.

Original news source: Netflix: Users spent 812 million hours watching The Night Agent (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. One student in each pair will be the “news reporter” and the other will be the “listener.” The news reporter will read the article silently and then summarize the main points to the listener. The listener should take notes and ask questions for clarification if needed. After a few minutes, have the pairs switch roles and repeat the activity.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think it is important for streaming services like Netflix to share viewer data?” or “What is your favorite show or movie on Netflix?” Divide the class into small groups and give each group the list of questions. In their groups, students should discuss the questions and gather opinions from each member. After a few minutes, reconvene as a whole class and have each group share their findings.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose a few important keywords from the article, such as “Netflix,” “viewer data,” and “original stuff.” Write a series of dashes on the board to represent each letter in the keyword. Divide the class into two teams. One team will choose a keyword and provide a definition or clue for the word. The other team will try to guess the word by suggesting letters. If a team guesses a correct letter, write it in the appropriate position on the dashes. If a team guesses a wrong letter, begin drawing a hangman on the board. The teams take turns until the word is guessed or the hangman is complete.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a different scene or moment from the article, such as “people watching The Night Agent” or “Netflix releasing viewer data.” Each group should work together to create a quick sketch or drawing that represents their assigned scene. After a few minutes, have each group present their sketch to the class and explain why they chose to depict that particular scene.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “How do you think Netflix sharing viewer data will impact the entertainment industry?” Give the students a few minutes to think individually about their response. Then, have them pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts. Finally, open up a class discussion and have a few pairs share their ideas with the whole class. Encourage students to listen to each other’s ideas and ask follow-up questions.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the show that was the most viewed on Netflix in the first half of this year?
2. How many hours did people spend watching the show “The Night Agent”?
3. Why is it a big deal that Netflix is sharing viewer data?
4. Who did people in Hollywood rely on for viewer data in the past?
5. How often does Netflix plan to release their viewer data report?
6. What percentage of the content people watch on Netflix is in a language other than English?
7. What was the most popular movie on Netflix?
8. What percentage of the content on Netflix is their own original stuff?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Netflix has just shared some cool info about what shows and movies people are (1)______ the most. They released data on almost all of their (2)______, so we can see which ones are super popular. The show that got the most views in the first half of this year was a political thriller (3)______ The (4)______ Agent. People from all over the world spent a total of 812 million hours watching it! This is a big deal because Netflix used to keep this info private, but now they’re being more open about it.

Netflix thinks that sharing this viewer data is a big step forward for them and the whole industry. They hope it’ll help creators and the industry understand their audiences better. In the past, (5)______ in Hollywood would rely on a company called Nielsen for viewer data, but that was just for regular TV. Netflix’s new report ranks 18,000 shows and (6)______ based on how many (7)______ people watched them from January to June of this year. They plan to release this report every six months and it covers almost 100 billion hours of (8)______ time!

The report also showed that about a (9)______ of all the stuff people (10)______ on Netflix is in a (11)______ other than English. And guess what? People still like watching older shows and movies too! The most popular movie on Netflix was called The (12)______ and it was watched for over 249 million hours. Netflix wants to make it clear that success on their platform isn’t just about how many hours something is watched, but also about how much people liked it and how many people watched it compared to how much it cost to make.

Netflix is the biggest streaming (13)______ in the world with almost 250 million subscribers. Since 2021, they’ve been sharing weekly lists of the most-watched stuff, both in English and other (14)______. More than half of the stuff they released this year made it onto those lists. The report also showed that 55% of what people watch on Netflix is their own (15)______ stuff, while the other 45% is stuff they bought from other (16)______. Last year, Netflix started a service with ads, so they need to be more open about how popular their stuff is for advertisers.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is the show that got the most views on Netflix in the first half of this year?
2. How would you feel if Netflix didn’t share viewer data and kept it private?
3. Do you like watching political thrillers? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about Netflix sharing viewer data to help creators and the industry understand their audiences better?
5. Do you think it’s important for companies like Netflix to release reports on viewer data? Why or why not?
6. How do you feel about watching shows and movies in a language other than English?
7. What is the most popular movie on Netflix according to the report?
8. Do you think success on Netflix is only about how many hours something is watched? Why or why not?
9. How many subscribers does Netflix have?
10. Have you ever watched a show or movie on Netflix that you really liked? Which one was it and why did you like it?
11. What do you think about Netflix’s decision to start a service with ads?
12. Do you prefer watching Netflix’s original shows or shows they bought from other companies? Why?
13. How often do you check the weekly lists of the most-watched stuff on Netflix?
14. What percentage of what people watch on Netflix is their own original stuff?
15. Why do you think Netflix needs to be more open about how popular their stuff is for advertisers?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. political
2. thriller
3. private
4. industry
5. creators
6. audiences
7. Nielsen
8. ranks
9. billion
10. subscribers
11. streaming
12. original
13. advertisers
14. viewers
15. released

Meanings:
(A) People or companies that pay to put their ads on TV, radio, or other media
(B) Sending music, movies, or other content in real-time over the internet
(C) Related to the government or public affairs of a country
(D) A company that measures how many people watch or listen to different TV shows, radio programs, etc.
(E) The group of businesses that make or sell a particular type of thing
(F) A thousand million (1,000,000,000)
(G) People who make new things or ideas
(H) Puts things in order according to a certain standard, like how good or popular they are
(I) A type of story or movie that is exciting because it involves secrets or mystery
(J) People who watch a show, movie, or event
(K) People who pay to use a service regularly
(L) The people who watch or listen to something, like a movie or a show
(M) Something that is not for everyone to see or know about
(N) Something that has not been copied or taken from something else; new and unique
(O) Made available to the public for the first time
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the show that received the most views on Netflix in the first half of this year?
(a) The Mother
(b) The Industry Report
(c) The Night Agent
(d) The Nielsen Data

2. How many hours did people spend watching The Night Agent on Netflix?
(a) 249 million hours
(b) 100 billion hours
(c) 18,000 hours
(d) 812 million hours

3. Why did Netflix decide to share viewer data?
(a) To compete with the company Nielsen
(b) To help creators and the industry understand their audiences better
(c) To increase their number of subscribers
(d) To make advertisers happy

4. What percentage of the content people watch on Netflix is in a language other than English?
(a) About half
(b) About two-thirds
(c) About a third
(d) About three-quarters

5. What was the most popular movie on Netflix?
(a) The Mother
(b) The Night Agent
(c) The Industry Report
(d) The Nielsen Data

6. How many subscribers does Netflix have?
(a) Almost 100 billion
(b) Almost 250 million
(c) Almost 18,000
(d) Almost 55%

7. What percentage of the content people watch on Netflix is their own original stuff?
(a) 55%
(b) 45%
(c) 50%
(d) 35%

8. Why does Netflix need to be more open about how popular their stuff is?
(a) Because they want to compete with other streaming services
(b) Because they want to increase their number of subscribers
(c) Because they want to make their content more accessible
(d) Because they started a service with ads

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Netflix believes that hiding this data is a significant step forward for them and the entertainment industry.
2. Netflix’s new report ranks 18,000 shows and movies based on the number of hours people did not watch them from January to June.
3. The show that received the most views in the first half of the year was a political thriller called The Night Agent.
4. People from all over the world spent a total of 812 billion hours watching The Night Agent.
5. In the past, Hollywood relied on a company called Nielsen for viewer data, but that was only for regular TV.
6. About two-thirds of the content people watch on Netflix is in a language other than English.
7. Netflix recently shared data about the most popular shows and movies people are watching on their platform.
8. Netflix used to keep this viewer data private, but now they’re being more open about it.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What information did Netflix recently share about their shows and movies?
2. Which show received the most views in the first half of this year?
3. Why is it significant that Netflix is sharing viewer data?
4. How does Netflix’s new report rank shows and movies?
5. What percentage of content on Netflix is in a language other than English?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The name of the show that was the most viewed on Netflix in the first half of this year is “The Night Agent.”
2. People spent a total of 812 million hours watching the show “The Night Agent.”
3. It is a big deal that Netflix is sharing viewer data because they used to keep this information private. By being more open about it, they hope to help creators and the industry understand their audiences better.
4. People in Hollywood used to rely on a company called Nielsen for viewer data.
5. Netflix plans to release their viewer data report every six months.
6. About a third of the content people watch on Netflix is in a language other than English.
7. The most popular movie on Netflix was called “The Mother,” and it was watched for over 249 million hours.
8. 55% of the content people watch on Netflix is their own original stuff.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) watching
(2) stuff
(3) called
(4) Night
(5) people
(6) movies
(7) hours
(8) viewing
(9) third
(10) watch
(11) language
(12) Mother
(13) service
(14) languages
(15) original
(16) companies
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. political
Answer: (C) Related to the government or public affairs of a country

2. thriller
Answer: (I) A type of story or movie that is exciting because it involves secrets or mystery

3. private
Answer: (M) Something that is not for everyone to see or know about

4. industry
Answer: (E) The group of businesses that make or sell a particular type of thing

5. creators
Answer: (G) People who make new things or ideas

6. audiences
Answer: (L) The people who watch or listen to something, like a movie or a show

7. Nielsen
Answer: (D) A company that measures how many people watch or listen to different TV shows, radio programs, etc.

8. ranks
Answer: (H) Puts things in order according to a certain standard, like how good or popular they are

9. billion
Answer: (F) A thousand million (1,000,000,000)

10. subscribers
Answer: (K) People who pay to use a service regularly

11. streaming
Answer: (B) Sending music, movies, or other content in real-time over the internet

12. original
Answer: (N) Something that has not been copied or taken from something else; new and unique

13. advertisers
Answer: (A) People or companies that pay to put their ads on TV, radio, or other media

14. viewers
Answer: (J) People who watch a show, movie, or event

15. released
Answer: (O) Made available to the public for the first time
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the show that received the most views on Netflix in the first half of this year?
Answer: (c) The Night Agent

2. How many hours did people spend watching The Night Agent on Netflix?
Answer: (d) 812 million hours

3. Why did Netflix decide to share viewer data?
Answer: (b) To help creators and the industry understand their audiences better

4. What percentage of the content people watch on Netflix is in a language other than English?
Answer: (c) About a third

5. What was the most popular movie on Netflix?
Answer: (a) The Mother

6. How many subscribers does Netflix have?
Answer: (b) Almost 250 million

7. What percentage of the content people watch on Netflix is their own original stuff?
Answer: (a) 55%

8. Why does Netflix need to be more open about how popular their stuff is?
Answer: (d) Because they started a service with ads
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Netflix believes that hiding this data is a significant step forward for them and the entertainment industry. (Answer: False)
2. Netflix’s new report ranks 18,000 shows and movies based on the number of hours people did not watch them from January to June. (Answer: False)
3. The show that received the most views in the first half of the year was a political thriller called The Night Agent. (Answer: True)
4. People from all over the world spent a total of 812 billion hours watching The Night Agent. (Answer: False)
5. In the past, Hollywood relied on a company called Nielsen for viewer data, but that was only for regular TV. (Answer: True)
6. About two-thirds of the content people watch on Netflix is in a language other than English. (Answer: False)
7. Netflix recently shared data about the most popular shows and movies people are watching on their platform. (Answer: True)
8. Netflix used to keep this viewer data private, but now they’re being more open about it. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧