Netflix Should Stop Splitting Seasons Into Multiple Parts After 2025

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Netflix needs to stop a certain streaming practice after 2025. While Netflix does many things well – and has been a leader in the streaming world since the beginning – one of its strengths is offering a diverse range of TV shows that appeal to a broad audience.

Netflix has become known for creating popular TV shows, starting with its first original series, House of Cards, in 2013. Since then, they’ve had success with shows like Stranger Things, Wednesday, Bridgerton, Squid Game, and many others. However, not everything Netflix produces is a hit, and a particularly frustrating habit seems to be making their challenges even worse.

Netflix Should Stop Splitting Seasons Into Multiple Parts – It’s Not Working

Netflix began releasing seasons in two parts around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to production delays. Initially, the pandemic halted many projects, and later, strikes by actors and writers further slowed down progress. To keep new shows and movies coming out, Netflix changed its usual release schedule.

The practice of releasing major projects in multiple stages, which began as a reasonable approach, is still happening as of 2025. It’s unclear exactly why, but many believe it’s to prevent people from canceling their subscriptions after watching only one show. However, this staggered release strategy is causing issues for everyone, not just viewers.

Highly popular shows like Stranger Things can successfully release seasons in multiple parts, and fans will likely tune in for all of it. However, newer or less well-known shows don’t fare as well with this strategy. If the initial episodes don’t attract viewers, the remaining parts often get ignored.

Splitting Seasons Into Multiple Parts Has Hurt A Lot Of Great Netflix Shows

Helen Sloan /©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

Netflix typically releases major shows in two parts, likely because they’re confident those shows will remain popular. But measuring a show’s success isn’t just about how many people watch it—cultural influence is often even more important. While Bridgerton might not have as many viewers as Stranger Things, it clearly made a big impact on popular culture, which is why creating spin-off series became a realistic possibility.

Dividing a TV season into two releases reduces its overall buzz. After the first season of Wednesday became a huge hit, everyone was talking about the Addams Family spin-off and eagerly awaiting more. While the first part of season two did generate some online discussion, the excitement had faded by the time the second part was released on Netflix.

Similar patterns emerged with popular shows like Cobra Kai. While its last season was promoted as a “three-part event,” interest had died down by the time the final part aired. Squid Game followed a similar trend. Though not officially a split season, the quick release of seasons 2 and 3 – only six months apart – and their continuation of the same storyline effectively made it one. In both cases, the final installments didn’t generate the viewership or cultural buzz they had previously.

Will Netflix Ever Move Away From Splitting Seasons?

We started releasing shows in multiple parts at Netflix because of disruptions like COVID-19 and the recent strikes by the Writers Guild and actors’ union. Those challenges are still fresh in our minds, and while we expect to stop this practice by 2025, it’s not a certainty.

Earlier this year, Netflix’s head of content, Bela Bajaria, questioned whether releasing seasons in parts has been as unsuccessful as some believe. She clarified that these decisions are made by the show’s creators, not as part of a larger Netflix plan, implying no immediate changes to this approach. While we may see improvements based on future data, it’s unlikely we’ll see significant changes before 2026.

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2025-10-27 02:48