Netflix’s Squid Game is estimated to be worth $900 million

It was also revealed that the show cost just $21.3 million to produce, with approximately $2.4 million per episode

Peony Hirwani
Monday 18 October 2021 12:49 BST
Comments
Report: Squid Game, Netflix’s biggest hit, estimated to be worth $900 million

After being officially declared as Netflix’s biggest ever launch, Squid Game is estimated to be worth almost $900 million (£654m) for the streaming service.

The nine-episode thriller explores a dystopian reality, in which a mysterious organisation recruits people in debt to compete in a series of deadly childhood games for the chance to win a life-changing amount of money.

According to an internal Netflix document reviewed by Bloomberg, Squid Game generated $891.1 million (£648.8m) in impact value, a metric the company uses to assess the performance from individual shows.

It was also revealed that the show cost just $21.3 million (£15.51m) to produce, with approximately $2.4 million (£1.75m) per episode.

Netflix declined to comment on the new report, and an attorney representing the company told Bloomberg that “it would be inappropriate for them to disclose the confidential data contained in the documents that they had reviewed.”

“Netflix does not discuss these metrics outside the company and takes significant steps to protect them from disclosure,” the attorney said.

South Korea Squid Game
South Korea Squid Game (Netflix)

The Korean-language drama was a surprise hit for the platform when it was released on 17 September, with Netflix boss Ted Sarandos saying that there was a “very good chance” the show would become their most-watched TV show of all time.

On Tuesday (12 October) night, Netflix announced it had broken all records after 111 million people tuned into the dystopian drama.

Squid Game has officially reached 111 million fans – making it our biggest series launch ever,” they tweeted.

Apple TV+ logo

Get Apple TV+ for £2.99/month for 3 months

Offer ends 24 April 2025. £2.99/month for first 3 months, then £8.99/month. Terms apply.

Accept offer

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Apple TV+ logo

Get Apple TV+ for £2.99/month for 3 months

Offer ends 24 April 2025. £2.99/month for first 3 months, then £8.99/month. Terms apply.

Accept offer

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

The show surpassed British-romance series Bridgerton, which previously set the record after being watched 82 million times in its first 28 days.

Netflix considers a viewer to be someone who watches two minutes of one episode of show, an amount of time they say is “long enough to indicate the choice was intentional”.

Squid Game was also on Netflix’s top 10 list in approximately 94 countries and is the platform’s first-ever Korean series to reach the No 1 spot in the US.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in