Netflix is reportedly looking to remove its “match” score from the platform. The feature has aimed to help viewers gauge their compatibility with particular titles for several years.
The “match” score appears as a percentage figure when viewers scroll through programmes and movies. The number aims to suggest how much someone will enjoy the title based on their previous streaming habits.
According to a new report conducted by The New York Times, most Netflix users find the score “confounding” and superfluous.
The match score was introduced in 2021 as a follow-up to the “Surprise Me” feature, which used the Netflix algorithm to suggest a programme or movie based on viewing habits.
It was also determined that viewers were uninterested in this feature despite Netflix executives being “incredibly confident” that it would take flight. Following widespread ambivalence, the feature was dropped in 2023.
Reacting to the situation, Netflix now turns its focus to accurate “tagging,” using keywords that succinctly describe titles to allow the viewer to make quick, informed decisions.
At present, there are 3,000 tags in total, the New York Times reported. The most frequently used are “romantic”, “exciting”, and “suspenseful”. Meanwhile, the least common is “Occupation: farmhand”, the report noted.
Netflix believes the tags are crucial to its ongoing success. According to the new report, if a viewer hasn’t chosen to click play within 53 seconds, they are extremely unlikely to watch anything at all. With competitors distracting viewers, it’s more important than ever for Netflix to keep users online.
Watch the trailer for the new Guy Ritchie series, The Gentlemen, below.
