Full frame image of logos of the on demand video site and app Netflix on a heap. Selective focus
Netflix just hit a significant milestone in the United States. Ahead of Netflix’s 25th Anniversary on August 29th, 2022, its library now consists of the same number of Netflix Originals as its licensed titles. Meaning for every one licensed title on Netflix there is a Netflix Original.
The news comes just over a year since we reported that the Netflix library consisted of 40% Netflix Originals in August 2021.
So how many titles are there?
As of August 24th, 2022, there are currently 6,206 individual titles on Netflix in total. That includes TV series, documentaries, movies, stand-up specials, and interactive specials. It doesn’t include Netflix’s growing stable of mobile games.
3,104 of those titles are Netflix Originals.
That means Netflix’s US library now consists of 50.017% Netflix Originals.
There are loads of ways of analyzing a streamer’s library and you could argue that doing it purely on the number of unique titles isn’t the best way. For example, is a licensed series with 10 seasons worth the same as a Netflix Original series from Iceland? Probably not (sorry, Iceland), but it paints more of a well-known picture. Netflix is all in on its own Originals.
We put together a simple spreadsheet that’s tracking the current ratio of Netflix Originals to licensed content.
The current trend suggests that roughly every month, Netflix Originals’ overall percentage on Netflix is going up by about 0.88%.
Netflix’s Growing Netflix Original Library
At this trajectory, Netflix will hit the following milestones over the next few years:
- 60% Netflix Originals vs Licensed – July 2023
- 75% Netflix Originals vs Licensed -December 2024
- 100% Netflix Originals vs Licensed – May 2027
Will Netflix ever get to the point where it licenses absolutely nothing and its library is solely made up of Netflix Originals? It seems unlikely but where the ratio will stabilize is unclear at the present time.
Netflix is licensing content for the foreseeable future from the likes of Sony Pictures (with who Netflix has the first-window deal) and Universal, among others. While Netflix is licensing less from third parties, there have been signals that rivals in the space (such as W aren’t quite turning off their licensing taps fully and more deals could happen in the space.
Of course, Netflix isn’t slowing down on Netflix Originals either. Depending on where you look, hundreds of movies and shows are being developed for Netflix exclusively worldwide. Some estimates are that Netflix has around 700-900 titles in development at any given time.
We should note that Netflix Originals don’t quite mean they’ll be on Netflix forever. As we’ve been reporting, dozens of Netflix Originals have been removed in the last few years.
Other Netflix Regions Have More Licensed Content… For Now.
This 50% figure doesn’t apply everywhere. Netflix internationally has access to a well of content that doesn’t apply to the US. Whether that’s first window outputs to Warner Bros. movies in Australia or local licensed content from Channel 4 and the BBC in the UK, libraries worldwide vary dramatically.
In the United Kingdom, there are 3089 Netflix Originals out of a total of 7447 titles. That means that Netflix Originals make up 41.48% of the total library. Places like Canada are much closer to the US percentage.
With thanks to NewonNetflix.info for some of the numbers cited in this article.