After just four weeks in release, Netflix’s Korean drama Squid Game pulled in a stunning 142 million views by member households globally. The numbers were released by Netflix on Tuesday as part of its third-quarter earnings report in a letter to its investors. “A mind-boggling 142m member households globally have chosen to watch the title in its first four weeks. The breadth of Squid Game’s popularity is truly amazing,” the letter read.
Squid Game launched on Netflix on Sept. 17 and has ranked as Netflix’s No. 1 show in 94 countries since its launch. Netflix also says Squid Game has “pierced the cultural zeitgeist” after being in an SNL skit, as well as becoming a meme on TikTok and other social media across the globe.
The series centers around 456 players who are down on their luck and in need of money to pay off their debts. They meet a mysterious recruiter who challenges them to a game of ddakji. The recruiter allows them to play until their successful, going on to offer them a chance at more cash through a series of children’s games. While he doesn’t go into further details, he does offer the players a card with three symbols on the front and a phone number on the back. Upon calling the number, participants have the chance to join the game without any idea of what its store upon joining. Soon enough, though, they find out only one player will survive to win the 45.6 billion won.
Squid Game was written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. All 9 episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Source: Deadline
