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End card thread:
For those wondering, streaming platforms are usually required to show written by, directed by, created by, and sometimes executive producers (if they have it written into their contract) before an end card can be triggered. https://twitter.com/birbigs/status/1327464426912571392
For those wondering, streaming platforms are usually required to show written by, directed by, created by, and sometimes executive producers (if they have it written into their contract) before an end card can be triggered. https://twitter.com/birbigs/status/1327464426912571392
As a movie lover who is particularly interested in HOW projects get made, I would love to show all the credits, but the number of people who watch credits is infinitely small. To most users this feels like a commercial.
Between episodes of a TV show, the solution is clear: Next episode! But what is not at all clear is what to do after a user has watched the FINAL episode of a show or just completed a movie. The user has demonstrated some commitment, but how do we keep them engaged from here?
Some tests we’ve run:
1. surface top 3 most popular shows and hope the users picks one to start watching right away.
2. Pick one show we want to market and use the end card as a promotional space, hoping the user clicks through to it.
3. Autoplay into a trailer for new content
1. surface top 3 most popular shows and hope the users picks one to start watching right away.
2. Pick one show we want to market and use the end card as a promotional space, hoping the user clicks through to it.
3. Autoplay into a trailer for new content
Results: none of these produced any statistically significant conversion, although the user is much more likely to sit through the trailer rather than actually click through to start a new season of some show we are guessing they might like.
Takeaway:
First, this is an area of streaming that I don’t think any product team has cracked yet, including Netflix. When someone does finally figure it out, it’ll probably feel like that was the obvious the whole time.
First, this is an area of streaming that I don’t think any product team has cracked yet, including Netflix. When someone does finally figure it out, it’ll probably feel like that was the obvious the whole time.
Second, think about how overwhelming it is to FINISH a show or even watch a whole movie. That’s a lot of time committed. I think the user’s emotional state is being ignored here simply because product teams want to maintain or increase engagement.
Lastly, my recommendation (based off my emotions, not data) is to actually do nothing! Let the user watch the credits knowing that they will likely back out anyway. Each platform’s homepage likely has some level of machine learning that leverages the user’s specific behavior...
...and is therefore more likely to surface content that caters to their interests. That may sound like lazy product management, but I’m not sure all the solutions in market actually solve a problem that’s 1. real 2. not already addressed elsewhere.
It’s also, apparently, the solution that creators like @birbigs and @BradBirdA113 really want.
