‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ Extended Preview Is Netflix’s Most-Watched Weekly Title
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
An extended 27-minute preview of Grand Theft Auto VI became Netflix's most-watched title globally last week, an unusual feat for a video game trailer rather than a film or TV series. Released on 27 August, the clip drew 31.1 million views over the weekend, topping Netflix's English film chart worldwide and in 87 of the 93 countries it tracks. The result highlights extraordinary anticipation for the game after a 13-year wait, following predecessor Grand Theft Auto V's record as the biggest entertainment launch in history, having earned $1 billion within three days of its 2013 release.
Rockstar Games also posted the same footage, captured entirely from PlayStation 5 in-game play, to YouTube six hours after its Netflix debut, where it has since gathered 17 million views; the two platforms measure viewership differently, with YouTube counting a view once playback starts and Netflix dividing total hours watched by runtime. Elsewhere in Netflix's weekly charts, The Whisper Man placed second among English films with 23.2 million views, while Death of a Pastor's Wife topped the English series list on debut with 19 million views.
- GTA VI's Netflix preview drew 31.1 million views in one weekend
- Topped Netflix's global English film chart in 87 of 93 countries
- Same footage hit 17 million views on YouTube separately
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Cyberpunk-style crime sagas aside, this story is really about how much people care about a game that hasn't even come out yet. Grand Theft Auto is a long-running series of open-world crime games made by Rockstar Games, known for letting players roam a fictional city getting into trouble. The previous instalment, Grand Theft Auto V, came out in 2013 and became the biggest entertainment launch ever, making $1 billion in just three days.
Grand Theft Auto VI is the eagerly awaited follow-up, arriving after a 13-year gap since the last main game. Rockstar recently released an extended, 27-minute preview showing footage captured from gameplay on the PlayStation 5, giving fans their fullest look yet at what to expect. The clip was shown on both Netflix and YouTube, two very different platforms that are more used to hosting films, series and everyday video content than video game trailers.
The reason this matters is the sheer scale of interest the preview attracted, briefly turning a video game clip into the most-watched item on a streaming service better known for dramas and documentaries. It also highlights how the two platforms count "views" differently, which is worth bearing in mind when comparing the numbers each reported.
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