A new Bloomberg report has found that several of Netflix's most popular original series are suffering sharp drops in viewership between their first and second seasons. The findings matter because they suggest a self-inflicted problem for the streamer, rather than a decline in the quality of the shows themselves.

The report cites One Piece losing over 30% of its audience for its second season, Beef falling by roughly 70%, and Avatar: The Last Airbender dropping 60% within a week of its premiere — even though many of these seasons received higher ratings than their debuts. Commentators, including writer-director Matthew A. Cherry, argue that the years-long gaps between seasons are eroding viewer interest, with both Beef and One Piece taking three years to return, a delay compounded by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike. The article adds that long waits also allow audience opinion to sour, citing the mixed reception to Stranger Things as its seasonal gaps widened.