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‘Suits’ Success & The Future of Netflixonomics

The surprise mega-performance of the underwhelming Sussex-adjacent series underscores the power of Netflix’s transformation from the era of hypergrowth to the age of super-retention.

Netflix’s resuscitated surprise hit ‘Suits,’ in many ways, is a perfect illustration of how to measure success in this new streaming age.
Netflix’s resuscitated surprise hit ‘Suits,’ in many ways, is a perfect illustration of how to measure success in this new streaming age. Photo: Vincent Sandoval/FilmMagic & Scott Olson/Getty Images
Julia Alexander
August 8, 2023

In the first four weeks after Suits landed on Netflix, in mid-June, the seemingly forgettable USA Network procedural—perhaps best known for starring Meghan Markle—set a record for a licensed show, with more than three billion minutes streamed, per Nielsen. All of a sudden, it seemed, Suits was the surprise hit of the season for Netflix, which picked up non-exclusive rights and worked its algorithmic magic. Incredibly, Suits beat Manifest, which set a previous record on Netflix, and the third season premiere of The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill. Over the weekend, in fact, Suits attracted twice the audience of Witcher, says Nielsen.