Squid Game Season 3 fails to match Season 2's opening weekend, despite breaking Netflix viewership record

Indian Express

7 days ago

Squid Game season 3, with its finale, has officially become one of the most-watched series in Netflix's history. As per data shared by the streamer, in just three days since its June 27 release, the Hwang Dong Hyuk directorial pulled in a massive 368.4 million watch hours, which Netflix says adds up to 60.1 million views globally. While that made it the most-watched title of the week across both English and non-English categories, it still fell short of Season 2's opening. And Season 1 still holds the crown as Netflix's most-watched series ever. Here's a breakdown of how the Lee Byung Hun–Lee Jung Jae starrer is stacking up.
Also read: Squid Game 3 ending: 7 burning questions answered in Netflix thriller finale; future possibilities explored
Squid Game season 3, which finally decided the fate of Player 426 and the twisted game where VIPs bet on human lives like racehorses, hit number 1 in 93 countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and Argentina. But when stacked against the numbers pulled in by season 2, it slightly lags. Season 2, despite being less loved by critics, clocked 68 million views in its first four days, beating Wednesday's 2022 debut of 50.1 million. For context, Netflix's viewership charts run Monday to Sunday, and season 3 only had three days in that window. Still, it's now the ninth most-watched non-English-language season ever, while seasons 1 and 2 still hold the top two spots. With a month still to go, we'll see if it climbs higher or drops off.
Thanks to the season 3 hype, the earlier seasons have found their way back into the Top 10. Season 2, which dropped in December, re-entered the charts last week, while season 1 landed back at number six. Netflix doesn't have daily viewership data for season 1 in the newer 'views' format, but that hasn't stopped it from holding the all-time record, 1.65 billion hours watched in four weeks and 142 million households tuned in.
Also read: Squid Game Season 3 ending explained: The truth about Gi Hun's fate, the mystery woman, and all survivors
The director of the South Korean thriller series, Hwang Dong Hyuk, has made it clear, there's no next season in the pipeline. But in the final few minutes of season 3, Cate Blanchett shows up playing ddakji (A Korean game), with someone, teasing her as the new recruiter. Which pretty much reveals the game's not over, it's going global. With the Korean setup now shut down, the VIPs who managed to flee the scene alongside Lee Byung-hun are likely shifting operations overseas. The show already tasted spin-off success with its first reality version, Squid Game: The Challenge, and a second season is on the way. Meanwhile, the American spin-off is rumoured to be helmed by David Fincher, the man behind House of Cards, Mank, and Michael Fassbender's The Killer. Hwang had earlier told Variety that if an American version happens, he wants in. He added, 'But if it's the US version that they're making, I think sharing of ideas would be enough. I have no intention of being completely hands-on in a project like that. Having said that, if Netflix asks and if I feel like my contribution is needed, then as long as it's not something that would interfere with whatever I'm working on at that time, I would be happy to provide what they need from me.'