In a week when Netflix reported their first drop in total subscribers in their ten years of operation, it's not surprising that eyes have turned to Netflix's spending.

Their achievements in the entertainment industry have been truly remarkable, but at what cost?

The Wall Street Journal report that this upcoming season of Stranger Things cost an average of $30 million per episode.

For comparison, Game of Thrones began with a $6 million per episode budget which rose to $15 million for the final season, and their new House of the Dragon came in at $20 million.

The TWJ article looks at a range of unorthodox over-spending practices at Netflix which may have been necessary when they were the new kids on the block but they're now beginning to reign in.

Interestingly it details this:

Netflix also places a high value on shows that appeal to less-frequent users of the service, who are the most in danger of canceling their subscription, compared with heavy users, company executives said.

We can see some sense in that but wonder what kind of users and content this is.

Eg. could it be sci-fi and will that practice continue?

Netflix has delivered a decent amount of sci-fi and we'd hate to see them cut back in this genre for future projects.

[ Main Image: Stranger Things. Credit: Netflix via IMDb.com. ]

References

Flint, Joe (April 21, 2022). Netflix, Facing Reality Check, Vows to Curb Its Profligate Ways. The Wall Street Journal.

Mass, Jennifer (April 22, 2022). How HBO Kept ‘House of the Dragon’ Costs Under $20 Million per Episode (Exclusive). Variety.