Squid Game Season 3 fails to match Season 2's opening weekend, despite breaking Netflix viewership record
Also read: Squid Game 3 ending: 7 burning questions answered in Netflix thriller finale; future possibilities explored
Squid Game season 3, which finally decided the fate of Player 426 and the twisted game where VIPs bet on human lives like racehorses, hit number 1 in 93 countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and Argentina. But when stacked against the numbers pulled in by season 2, it slightly lags. Season 2, despite being less loved by critics, clocked 68 million views in its first four days, beating Wednesday's 2022 debut of 50.1 million. For context, Netflix's viewership charts run Monday to Sunday, and season 3 only had three days in that window. Still, it's now the ninth most-watched non-English-language season ever, while seasons 1 and 2 still hold the top two spots. With a month still to go, we'll see if it climbs higher or drops off.
Thanks to the season 3 hype, the earlier seasons have found their way back into the Top 10. Season 2, which dropped in December, re-entered the charts last week, while season 1 landed back at number six. Netflix doesn't have daily viewership data for season 1 in the newer 'views' format, but that hasn't stopped it from holding the all-time record, 1.65 billion hours watched in four weeks and 142 million households tuned in.
Also read: Squid Game Season 3 ending explained: The truth about Gi Hun's fate, the mystery woman, and all survivors
The director of the South Korean thriller series, Hwang Dong Hyuk, has made it clear, there's no next season in the pipeline. But in the final few minutes of season 3, Cate Blanchett shows up playing ddakji (A Korean game), with someone, teasing her as the new recruiter. Which pretty much reveals the game's not over, it's going global. With the Korean setup now shut down, the VIPs who managed to flee the scene alongside Lee Byung-hun are likely shifting operations overseas. The show already tasted spin-off success with its first reality version, Squid Game: The Challenge, and a second season is on the way. Meanwhile, the American spin-off is rumoured to be helmed by David Fincher, the man behind House of Cards, Mank, and Michael Fassbender's The Killer. Hwang had earlier told Variety that if an American version happens, he wants in. He added, 'But if it's the US version that they're making, I think sharing of ideas would be enough. I have no intention of being completely hands-on in a project like that. Having said that, if Netflix asks and if I feel like my contribution is needed, then as long as it's not something that would interfere with whatever I'm working on at that time, I would be happy to provide what they need from me.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
11 minutes ago
- Business Standard
WTC final is most-watched non-India Test on digital platform: JioStar CEO
The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 between South Africa and Australia became the most-watched non-India Test match on a digital platform, according to JioStar's CEO – Sports and Live Experiences, Sanjog Gupta. The historic clash at Lord's drew massive attention from Indian audiences, with millions tuning in on JioStar despite India not being a part of the contest. In an interview with Variety, Gupta attributed the digital milestone to a well-timed cross-promotional strategy executed during IPL 2025. 'We didn't drop the full show at one go, but actually staggered it starting during the IPL,' he said, underscoring how JioStar leveraged the cricketing frenzy to create anticipation around the WTC final. $500 Million Investment in Sports Offerings As the Indian sports economy gears up to become a $130 billion industry by 2030, as projected by the Think Sports report by Google and Deloitte, JioStar is significantly scaling up its investments. Gupta revealed that the company is committing $500 million across production, marketing, and technology to deepen its presence in the live sports space. 'Our journey actually begins at that point [of rights acquisition] to grow fans for the property, to deepen fandom for that property, and to be able to extract disproportionate value from that property,' he noted. From cricket to coldplay: A broad sports vision Beyond cricket, JioStar's ambitions span diverse entertainment avenues. Reflecting on the platform's first major live event—Coldplay's concert at the Narendra Modi Stadium on January 26—Gupta called it a 'cultural zeitgeist moment.' The concert, held on India's Republic Day, symbolised the fusion of global music and national pride. Gupta further outlined a broader vision for the platform: to transform India into a sporting nation. 'Our mission is to serve one fan as many sports experiences as possible, powered by the interplay of technology and creativity,' he said, hinting at JioStar's long-term strategy of integrating immersive fan engagement with premium content. A Strategy Anchored in Fan Value Gupta reiterated that JioStar's investments in sports properties are guided by a four-point thesis centered on reach, engagement, monetization, and fandom. 'Till such time as sports, sporting properties, sports rights, continue to deliver on these four tenets of the investment thesis, we will continue to invest in them,' he asserted. With viewership benchmarks being redefined and technology playing a critical role in content delivery, JioStar aims to remain at the forefront of India's booming sports and live entertainment economy.
Mint
18 minutes ago
- Mint
F1 Box Office Collection Day 6: Brad Pitt's film beats Maa and Kannapaa, earns ₹30 crore+ in India
F1 Box Office Collection Day 6: Hollywood star Brad Pitt's much-awaited film F1 is bringing the Indian audience to theatres. In fact, the film has now surpassed the business of Kajol's Maa and Vishnu Manchu's Kannappa which released on the same day as F1. According to the industry tracker Sacnilk, F1 minted ₹ 3.50 crore on day 6. The total earnings of the film are ₹ 32 crore in India so far. The film has maintained its pace at the ticket window. F1 had an overall 18.70% occupancy on Wednesday in the English format in India. The occupancy distributions through the shows were as follows: For the Hindi dubbed version, the film witnessed about 8.22% occupancy on day 6, Wednesday. The occupancy was as follows: Delhi NCR has the highest number of screenings for F1 in all formats. In terms of occupancy in the Hindi and English languages, Mumbai stood second on the list. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, F1 stars Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Javier Bardem in key roles. It is produced Jerry Bruckheimer and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, who also makes a special cameo appearance in the film. F1 is based on the story a former Formula One driver who returns to the tracks after 30 years in a bid to rescue a struggling team once led by his former partner. The Brad Pitt-starrer had a decent start at the Indian box office, earning ₹ 5.5 crore on its opening day and showing growth over the weekend. Interestingly, the film has now outperformed Indian releases Maa and Kannappa, both of which had promising openings. On Wednesday, Maa earned its lowest, raking in ₹ 1.75 crore. On the other hand, Kannapaa collected ₹ 1.15 crore.
Hindustan Times
18 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Akshay Kumar-Saif Ali Khan's film with Priyadarshan finally gets THIS title
Jul 03, 2025 10:41 AM IST Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan's thriller film is yet to go on floors, but it has already led to a lot of excitement among fans. Raising the anticipation level is the fact that the duo will be directed by ace filmmaker Priyadarshan. And now, we have learnt the title of their collaboration. Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan Also read: Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan to reunite on screen after 17 years HT City can confirm exclusively that the film has been titled Haiwaan, which translates to 'beast' in English. A source tells us, "The team felt this describes their subject the best, and conveys exactly how Priyadarshan sees it- as an edge of the seat thriller. There were other titles in contention, but this one clicked unanimously, given the characters the lead actors play." Saif and Akshay will be joining forces after last starring in the 2008 film Tashan. The shoot is expected to begin in August next month, and release next year in theatres. Akshay had recently wrapped up the film Bhooth Bangla, again directed by Priyadarshan, while Saif Ali Khan was seen in the film Jewel Thief.
