>The networks are gambling big in a risky industry where only the most prominent shows survive. While top-rated hits can garner millions of viewers, FX research found that the bottom 20 percent of shows averaged around 380,000 viewers, a daunting prospect for networks that depend on big audiences for ad revenue.
Only the prominent shows survive in the ads business model that currently governs these networks. If an Amazon or Netflix show gets 380,000 viewers and this show convinces the majority of those viewers to keep their subscription, then the respective streaming giant has already accomplished their goal. That's another $3.8M (or whatever the average subscription amount is) in monthly subscription revenue. They're not beholden to advertisers. A typical "Black Mirror" viewer might not overlap with a typical "Marco Polo" viewer or a typical "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" viewer, but, as long as each viewer has a reason to stay subscribed, Netflix doesn't care if said shows were to have a low average number of viewers.
Only the prominent shows survive in the ads business model that currently governs these networks. If an Amazon or Netflix show gets 380,000 viewers and this show convinces the majority of those viewers to keep their subscription, then the respective streaming giant has already accomplished their goal. That's another $3.8M (or whatever the average subscription amount is) in monthly subscription revenue. They're not beholden to advertisers. A typical "Black Mirror" viewer might not overlap with a typical "Marco Polo" viewer or a typical "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" viewer, but, as long as each viewer has a reason to stay subscribed, Netflix doesn't care if said shows were to have a low average number of viewers.