What The Percentages Next To Films And TV Shows On Netflix Actually Mean

It can often feel daunting scrolling through Netflix to try and find what to watch – not only do you have to work out if you’re after a film or a series, you then have to drill down into the genres to figure out if you’re in the mood for comedy, drama, documentary, horror, rom-com... before ultimately giving up and sticking on an episode of The US Office that you’ve seen 50 times before. 

But have you ever considered paying attention to the percentages that often appear next to titles? You may assume that, like on some other streaming sites, they’re just an overall rating, but they’re actually a figure tailored entirely to you. 

The ratings are created by an algorithm, which takes information based on your previous viewing habits to try and work out how much you might like another TV show or film. 

Netflix

Netflix explains on its website: “The percentage next to a title shows how close we think the match is for your specific profile.   

“The ratings you provide also help us recommend popular TV shows and movies on Netflix. On Android phones and tablets, TVs, and web browsers, TV shows and movies with the most positive ratings will have a Most Liked label.” 

What’s more, you can boost the accuracy of the percentages by rating what you’ve seen with a thumbs up or thumbs down, in turn feeding the algorithm with more information about what you do and don’t like. 

Netflix continues: “To get better suggestions for TV shows and movies you might like, you can rate what you’ve watched with a thumbs up or thumbs down.” 

Alamy

Netflix is then able to get a ‘better idea of what you’d like to watch’ by looking at factors including the genres of TV shows and movies, your previous ratings, your viewing history and the ratings of Netflix members who have similar tastes to you. 

To see your previous ratings, simply go to your ‘Account’ page using a web browsers, and open up the ‘Profile & Parental Controls’ settings for the profile you want to see. Click ‘Ratings’, and a list will appear. 

So next time you're complaining about not knowing what to watch, maybe try flicking through your home page to find any titles specifically recommended for you. The only downside is that it may reveal just how much Selling Sunset you've been binging...