by Thinus Ferreira
Netflix has cut back more than 130 original shows and films and shrunk its original programming output by almost a fifth in 2023 for the first time ever, according to a new report.
While it's not yet clear how Netflix's overall programming cutbacks will affect what the video streaming service is making or planning to commission in terms of South African series, as well as content from the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, what is clear is that the global streaming has started to reign in its overall content spending as part of a massive programming shift.
While Netflix continued to produce more and more shows and films every year, in 2023 its output suddenly started to dip with output that suddenly fell during every quarter of last year, according to research that was done by the independent What's On Netflix site.
Although Hollywood in 2023 dealt with a months long writers' and actors' strikes, Netflix had cut back in all four quarters of last year. During the last quarter of 2023 Netflix had its slowest fourth-quarter output in five years.
In November, Netflix told America's trade publication Variety that it has been shifting its programming strategy to reduce quantity but is trying to increase the quality of its content output.
"We're a machine that was built to go, go, go and that doesn't always result in quality," Scott Stuber, the head of Netflix's film division, told the trade publication. "A lot of streaming companies made the mistake of moving so fast that we made a lot of things that weren't ready to be produced. I want to avoid that."
Netflix's audience engagement also fell in 2023 - down 17% last year. Viewing on Netflix declined by more than 7 billion hours in 2023 compared to 2022, based on data provided by Netflix's own weekly Top 10 ranker.
