The Great Streamer Transparency Fallacy

Hollywood’s fixation with forcing Netflix and the others to reveal consumption data is commendable. But what if that transparency isn’t as transparent as the writers, actors, and agents all hoped?

‘Love Is Blind’ costs a fraction of ‘The Crown,’ which has received 63 Emmy nominations. But which show is better at retaining subscribers? Courtesy of Netflix

Julia Alexander

October 3, 2023

Transparency has long been a slippery expression in entertainment—“Hollywood accounting,” after all, is a euphemism for backend financial shenanigans that are suspicious, to say the least. Netflix offered creators lucrative upfront packages but at the expense of any real insight into how shows and films performed on the platform. On some level, this befits the chasm between the veneer of show business and how money really is made behind the scenes.