As expected, the game from Rockstar and Take-Two boosted Netflix’s results—and that’s exactly what happened.

According to Variety, Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, which debuted exclusively on Netflix last week before becoming available on all other platforms six hours later, took the top spot on the leading streaming service’s weekly viewership chart. According to Netflix’s data, the show received 31.1 million views from Thursday, August 27, through Sunday, August 30—the day the platform’s weekly Top 10 list closes. This was enough to make the show the service’s most-watched title last week.

The special was categorized among Netflix’s English-language films, where it took first place in 87 of the 93 countries tracked. Second place went to The Whisper Man with 23.2 million views, nearly eight million behind. Among TV shows, the documentary Death of the Pastor’s Wife led with 19 million views, followed by the third season of Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black with 13 million. This means the Rockstar broadcast outperformed the top titles in every category on Netflix’s rankings. The same video has garnered more than 20.3 million views on Rockstar’s YouTube channel so far. This figure only covers Rockstar’s official upload and does not take into account the countless reuploads circulating elsewhere.

This massive demand also negatively impacted Netflix itself. As many subscribers noted on social media, the streaming app crashed almost immediately on the night of the premiere. For a while, it seemed as though the crash might ruin the entire event. According to Sensor Tower data, the number of Netflix mobile viewers in the U.S. increased by 35% per hour during the premiere. Compared to the average for the same time period on the previous 12 Thursdays, the number of mobile app users rose by 50%. Web traffic exceeded the average by 125%, bringing the platform to a standstill. Even Twitch reportedly suffered outages about an hour after the premiere, despite content creators reacting live to the Extended Look.

Sensor Tower’s analysis of why Netflix wanted to do this in the first place is quite clear: Abe Yousef, the company’s lead analyst, put it this way: “Utilizing lexicon-stirring events tied to notable IP has helped expand Netflix’s appeal as an all-encompassing entertainment platform. By aligning itself with the launch of a highly anticipated console title, Netflix is converting heightened consumer interest into re-engagement from lapsed viewers and sign-ups from non-subscribers.”

Before the broadcast, Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of documentary series, explained the unusual collaboration with the following statement: “Grand Theft Auto reveals have become cultural moments in their own right. The anticipation and fandom around Grand Theft Auto VI is unprecedented, and we’re honored that Rockstar Games has partnered with us to debut the next part of the Grand Theft Auto story with Netflix members first. It’s a reflection of what we hope Netflix is becoming: a place where the most ambitious storytelling, from any medium, can find the biggest possible audience.”

Of course, whether this relatively small preview of Grand Theft Auto VI satisfied gamers is an entirely different question. The game will be released on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.

Source: WCCFTech, Variety, GamesBeat