142 million households watching "Squid Game"

Squid Game, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, follows hard-up people who take part in a mystery game for a massive sum of money. But there's a catch, you risk the pain of death if you lose.

Last Christmas we had the bodice-ripping Bridgerton. The show, starring Waterford's Jamie Beamish as the frightful Nigel, reached record figures for streaming giant Netflix. Until now. Netflix says Squid Game has been watched by a “mind-boggling” 142 million households around the world, calling the programme “our biggest TV show ever”.

The streaming giant said in a letter to shareholders that Squid Game had achieved the biggest series launch on the platform.

A mind-boggling 142 million member households globally have chosen to watch the title in its first four weeks. The breadth of Squid Game’s popularity is truly amazing; this show has been ranked as our number one programme in 94 countries (including the US).

Demand expected for consumer merchandise

Netflix has confirmed that demand for Squid Game merchandise is high and these products are expected to retail shortly.

Raunchy period drama Bridgerton was watched by 82 million households in its first month.

More about "Squid Game"

Squid Game, which debuted in September, consists of nine episodes.

It is Netflix’s first Korean programme to become the most popular series in the US. It's been part of the company's efforts to roll out a broader suite of international shows.

Netflix subscribers around the world grew to 214 million during the last quarter after adding an additional 4.4 million customers.

The show has caused a number of concerns however, with fear that children were copying the games played. You can read more here.