‘Iron Fist’ Was Netflix’s Most-Binged Drama Premiere, For Some Reason
Marvel’s Netflix Iron Fist has only been available to stream for two weeks. Two weeks! That’s a steep dropoff in conversation, and certainly not what you want from the final lead-in to The Defenders. Nevertheless, whether you loved Iron Fist or hated it, data shows that Danny Rand gave Marvel one of Netflix’s most-watched premieres this year.
Even as Netflix still doesn’t release official viewership data, research from 7Park Data (via Variety) shows that 54.7% of Iron Fist streams on March 17 watched three episodes or more, compared with the average 46.9% rate of other hour-long dramas. Iron Fist accounted for at least 14.6% of all Netflix streams on its premiere day, topping a 12.8% for Luke Cage, and a 13.8% for Daredevil Season 2.
Obviously, there’s a lot to unpack here. Iron Fist may have taken a beating from critics (currently sitting at 17% on Rotten Tomatoes), but more casual viewers are always keen to judge for themselves, just as star Finn Jones urged them to do. There’s also the possibility that negative press had viewers even more curious of the commotion, as well that Iron Fist was thought to feature vital information, or at least some tease of The Defenders.
Here’s how 7Park Data senior analyst Christopher Coby put it:
The relationship between critic reviews and mass appeal has always been a complicated one. Consider the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and the long list of shows with top audience numbers but few Golden Globes or Emmy’s to show for it. The actual streams data tells us that what critics consider the best shows and what streaming viewers consider the best are sometimes two very different things. ‘Marvel’s Iron Fist’ is a case in point.
The perceived gulf between critics and fans certainly doesn’t need widening, but why might Iron Fist have struck such a chord on its first day, compared with some of the other heroes? Will The Defenders itself, or perhaps The Punisher blow it out of the water?
In the meantime, all episodes of Marvel’s Iron Fist are available to stream, with talk of a potential second season not far behind it.