Netflix’s extended look at the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI caused a precipitous spike in viewership for the streaming service, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Specifically, the viewer numbers went up by 35% hour-over-hour (for the hour the presentation began, over the previous one). It went up around 50% from the same time the previous day.
In addition to those viewer numbers, Sensor Tower also reported that mobile app users went up almost 50% compared with the average user count at the same time on the previous 12 Thursdays. Web visitors went up by 125% compared with the exact same average. For some viewers, this caused the platform to crash just as the presentation went live.
Abe Yousef, Sensor Tower’s Senior Insights Analyst, said in a report on the data: “Utilizing lexicon-stirring events tied to notable IP has helped expand Netflix’s appeal as an all-encompassing entertainment platform. By aligning itself with the launch of a highly anticipated console title, Netflix is converting heightened consumer interest into re engagement from lapsed viewers and sign-ups from non-subscribers.”
In addition to the Netflix info, Sensor Tower also gave a chart of the estimated preorders of Grand Theft Auto VI so far. The figure is currently sitting at around 4.6 million units preordered, with 77% of them being on PlayStation (the platform on which the extended look was recorded).