Streaming just got serious! Netflix releases a brilliant binge-watching CONTRACT that forces partners to agree to a list of strict rules before they start enjoying a show together
- The streaming site unveiled a ‘co-watching’ contract for couples who binge-watch television shows together
- In the contract, the two parties must agree to not fall asleep while watching
- Also, when binge-watching a show, both parties can’t view episode without the other person present to also watch
- Netflix created the idea of ‘binge-watching’ when it released the entire first season of Orange is the New Black at once in 2013
- The streaming site is also testing out a ‘physical activity’ tracker for mobile users
Netflix was the original streaming site to create the binge-watching culture that now dominates many TV shows.
The streaming site has since decided in a clever marketing move to create a ‘co-watching’ contract people can fill out with their partners to prevent them from ruining any binge-watching.
Included in the contract is a space for both parties to sign their names, as well as five rules each person must follow when agreeing to binge-watch a show together.
Important: Netflix unveiled a ‘co-watching’ contract for couples who binge-watch television shows together, which included five rules both parties must follow
Priorities: In the contract, the two parties must agree to not fall asleep while watching
The terms and conditions of the contract read: ‘I won’t fall asleep; I won’t get distracted by my phone causing the other person to rewind because I missed something; I won’t continue watching a show without the other person present; I won’t talk whilst the show is on; In the event that I come across a spoiler, I won’t share it with the other person.’
Netflix also hilariously listed itself as a ‘witness’ for the contract.
Binge-watching TV shows first started after Netflix released its original series Orange Is the New Black online in 2013.
In a surprising twist viewers had yet to experience, the streaming site uploaded the entire first season instead of making fans wait week to week for the next episode.
This started the binge-watching culture people now expect when viewing most of their TV shows.
Following the success of binge-watching its first original series, Netflix has continued to release the entire season for other popular original shows — such as Stranger Things, Queer Eye, 13 Reasons Why and The Society.
The beginning: Binge-watching culture started after Netflix released the entire first season of Orange is the New Black in 2013
Following in the footsteps: Netflix has since released other original series, including Queer Eye (pictured), that put out the entire season so fans don’t have to wait for an episode
Keeping the peace: This inspired the company to release a clever contract so that partners watching shows like Stranger Things (pictured) won’t get into a fight while co-watching
The term ‘binge-watching’ has even become so engrained in internet culture that it was Collins English Dictionary’s word of the year in 2015.
Besides releasing the contract people can use in their own lives, Netflix also unveiled a new feature for its mobile app where it tracks users’ ‘physical activity’ throughout the day.
According to The Next Web, Netflix rolled out the new feature with Android users to improve video quality when users were on the go.
‘We are continually testing ways to give our members a better experience,’ Netflix told the site in a statement.
‘This was part of a test to see how we can improve video playback quality when a member is on the go. Only some accounts are in the test, and we don’t currently have plans to roll it out.’
But the name of the feature gave the impression to some users that Netflix wanted to know how active someone was compared to how much they watched TV shows and movies on the streaming site.
This was not the case, though, the steaming site claimed.