Netflix Movie Library Shrunk by 35% Since 2015 But Is Growing Again

It’s been some time when you consider that we dug into Netflix’s library and these days we’re going to be diving deep into Netflix’s film lineup. Is Netflix’s film lineup as robust as years prior? How a few of the films to be had on Netflix at the moment are Originals? Has first-rate withinside the film library declined and in which does Netflix nonetheless get its certified films from? Let’s locate out. 

Please note: this piece most effective applies to Netflix withinside the United States. Other libraries and availability are regularly considerably different. 

Netflix’s US Movie Library Has Shrunk By Over 35% Since 2015 But Is Growing Again

Despite big funding in Netflix Original films, the film library as an entire has nonetheless contracted in line with numbers visible via way of means of What’s on Netflix.

Back in May 2015, the films library withinside the US became at four,751 films robust. Compare that to May 2022 and there are most effective 3,016 films at the service.

If we simply examine certified content material (except for Netflix Originals) the film library has contracted even extra dramatically. In May 2015, there has been most effective a unmarried Netflix Original film (Beasts of No Nation wouldn’t launch till October that yr kickstarting Netflix’s foray completely into new films).

If we exclude Netflix Originals, the certified film library on Netflix is now 55% smaller than it became seven years in the past.

This shouldn’t come as a big marvel that certified films are slowly shifting farfar from Netflix We’ll dig into this extra in a 2d however severa reviews kingdom that Netflix has misplaced heaps of titles each films and TV indicates over the last decade. ReelGood posted a document in 2020 that placed the quantity at extra than five,000 titles misplaced. In 2011, Netflix reportedly had 11,000 titles overall. Fast ahead to these days, Netflix’s US library is at round 6,000 titles.

With that said, Netflix has started developing its film library once more in latest years. We’ve were given film library snapshots on May fifth for each yr when you consider that 2015 and it shows that 2017 became the worst yr for the film library bottoming out at 2686 films. As Netflix invests in Originals and receives new offers in area inclusive of with worldwide vendors, that quantity has grown. It’s additionally indicative of a extra strong library while earlier than Netflix became continuously liable to dropping huge numbers of films. Case in point, Netflix misplaced the Epix film library in 2015.

2015 – 4752 films

2016 – 3275 films

2017 – 2686 films

2018 –  2768 films

2019 – 3048 films

2020 – 2980 films

2021 – 2937 films

2022 – 3015 films

Netflix Originals Make Up A Bigger Part of the Netflix Movie Library Than Ever

It’s no marvel given the certified films falling farfar from Netflix that Netflix Originals now make up a far large part of the Netflix library.

As we’ve formerly blanketed Netflix’s library (each films and TV indicates) now includes over 40% Originals. As of May 2022, that quantity is now sitting at 47% and is anticipated to hit 50% in August 2022 in line with our metrics.

On the film front, that quantity isn’t pretty as drastic. Just over 30% of the Netflix film library is made of Netflix Originals as of early May 2022.

So what number of Netflix Original films are there? As of May fifth, we be counted number that there are 917 Netflix Original films (this excludes documentaries and stand-up specials – our fundamental film listing consists of them) with that quantity in all likelihood hitting 1,000 via way of means of the cease of 2022. According to records from VarietyInsight and IMDbPro, there are north of 350 Netflix Original films in development, in manufacturing or looking ahead to launch on Netflix in 2022 and beyond (lots of which we cowl in our fundamental film preview)

Does Netflix specially have more moderen films or older films?

One of the common criticisms that Netflix receives is that it’s reliant on older films to inventory its library. According to our stats, that’s inaccurate. In fact, the bulk of the films on Netflix got here from the 2010s with the second one maximum being withinside the 2020s that’s sudden given we’re most effective years into the decade.

What’s the worst on Netflix proper now?

Using IMDb scores, we will inform you what’s the worst film is presently on Netflix (we’ll in all likelihood do a larger listing of those at a later date) and presently, with most effective a 1.five on IMDb, 2016’s Aerials ranks because the worst film presently to be had.

In phrases of the worst Netflix Original film, that accolade presently sits with the 2019 Italian film, The App which most effective holds a 2.7 on IMDb.

Has the first-rate of films gotten worse on Netflix? This is a simply complex query to reply however primarily based totally on averaging IMDb scores (in which to be had) each the May 2015 and May 2022 library holds round a 6 on IMDb on common in line with our figures.

Where does Netflix get its films from?

Besides commissioning and obtaining films to place below its Netflix Original umbrella, it additionally licenses plenty of films from third-celebration vendors. As we’ve already alluded to, those certified film faucets aren’t pretty as flowing as they was once however in which is Netflix getting its new films from?

Warner Brothers stay the largest licenser of films to Netflix in line with our first of the month evaluation in 2022. On April 1st, for example, they furnished 23 films to Netflix while Universal furnished 8.

With Warner Brothers now entirely centered on HBO Max, will that faucet in the end be reduce off completely? That became signaled via way of means of Jason Kilar in a Tweet in January 2021 answering why Netflix nonetheless receives a number of Warner Brothers’ largest films saying:

“Was a feature of some thing finished years in the past whilst (what became then called) Time Warner did now no longer have direct to patron as a pinnacle priority. That has changed. As those licensing offers run out every month, you may see titles flowing to HBO Max. Gossip Girl this month for example.”

Netflix US additionally nonetheless keeps to license films from Universal, Lionsgate, Paramount, STX, Vertical, and different smaller vendors. Netflix significantly does now no longer license Disney films anymore (it misplaced the primary window rights in 2020 and all library content material lengthy earlier than then) and seldom licenses twentieth Century Fox films.

1Of path, in maximum of those cases, those vendors have their personal streaming offerings to feed. Also, there are loads extra consumers available in the marketplace for streaming rights therefore, whilst film rights come up, they’re in excessive demand.

Starting in 2022, Netflix has reversed path from now no longer re-upping first-window offers to hanging new publicly introduced offers with Sony and Universal. The former will see each their animation and their live-movement suite come to Netflix for everything of the primary window. In the latter, we’ll see their animation films come for a part of the primary window and live-movement in round four years’ time. In each instances, they introduced that choose library titles (launched theatrically earlier than 2022) can be coming to Netflix.