If you haven't noticed by now, Squid Game [1] is kind of a big deal, and the streaming numbers prove it. After much chatter about the show's epic launch, Netflix has confirmed that the buzzy Korean drama [2] is officially the most popular TV show to debut on the streaming service. According to Variety, Netflix said the series has been viewed by 111 million members [3] in just 25 days since its Sept. 17 premiere — beating out Shonda Rhimes's Bridgerton series [4] that pulled in 82 million households within the first 28 days of its release.
"Squid Game has officially reached 111 million fans — making it our biggest series launch ever!" the streamer announced via its main Twitter page. Two weeks ago, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos indicated the show was on track to become streamer's biggest show ever [5]. "We did not see that coming, in terms of its global popularity," he said at Vox Media's Code Conference.
Squid Game creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk always knew the show had potential to become a sensation, especially since he already had its global appeal in mind from the get-go. "The most Korean is the most universal. BTS, PSY and director Bong Joon-ho have already proved that," Hwang said during an interview [7] with The Korea Times. "Korea's old children's games, which were used in my series, are simple and old, but I saw the potential to make them appealing worldwide." Even though several Korean studios initially passed on the "bizarre" concept, which was originally intended to be a film, Hwang never gave up on the project [8] and it paid off big time. So now he has the honor of saying he created Netflix's most popular show to date — now that's what you call bragging rights.