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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider Korea's 'Squid Game' poised to become Netflix's biggest show, says co-CEO Sarandos

Korea's 'Squid Game' poised to become Netflix's biggest show, says co-CEO Sarandos

Published Sep 28, 2021 03:00 pm

The Korean series “Squid Game” could be Netflix’s biggest show ever, according to the company’s co-chief executive officer.

This is according to Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, when he spoke at Code 2021, a technology conference held in the US, on Sept. 27.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos (left) and "Squid Game (Netflix)

As of now, Sarandos said, "Squid Game will definitely be our biggest non-English language show in the world, for sure," according to Yonhap News.

“Squid Game” was released on Sept. 17 and it is already the No. 1 show worldwide on Netflix, according to streaming analytics website FlixPatrol. As of Sept. 27, “Squid Game” is No. 1 in 75 countries and territories, based on Flix Patrol’s data coverage, including the US, Philippines, Canada, Malaysia, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

"It's only been out for nine days, and it's a very good chance it's going to be our biggest show ever. It's enormously popular," declared Sarandos.

Sarandos said “Squid Game” is surpassing Netflix’s non-English shows like “Money Heist” and “Lupin.”

“Squid Game” was produced with a budget of 20 billion won ($16.9 million), according to Korean media.

Starring Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo, “Squid Game” tells the story of 456 debt-ridden people in Korea who participate in a mysterious and deadly survival game with a 45.6 billion won ($38.5 million) prize at stake.

Recently, the series drew controversy when it was revealed that the phone numbers used on the show were actual phone numbers of people in Korea, who complained that they were getting thousands of calls and texts from strangers.

Sarandos also revealed the top 10 most popular shows and movies on Netflix, according to Variety.

Rankings by No. of Households Sampling a Title (First 28 Days of Release)

(Source: Variety)

Rankings by Overall Time Spent Viewing (First 28 Days of Release)

(Source: Variety)

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south korea Squid Game Ted Sarandos Netflix
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