Netflix Allegedly Bars ‘The Innocents’ Cast From Using The Term ‘Binge-Watching’

Netflix and the term ‘binge-watching’ have become virtually inextricable, but it turns out the streaming giant may not be too excited about that. While doing promo for his new Netflix original The Innocents, Guy Pearce told The Empire Film Podcast that “we (presumably meaning himself and other Innocents cast members) were strictly sort of instructed beforehand not to talk about ‘binge-watching.’”

“I don’t think Netflix likes the term ‘binge,’” Pearce added. Netflix has not yet provided a comment to confirm or deny Pearce’s statements.

While Netflix’s alleged new stance is a completely understandable one, given how the word “binge” is also commonly associated with unhealthy activities, it’s a bit of an odd position for Netflix to take. Or, rather, it’s an odd position for the company to take now, because Netflix has used the term widely in its marketing — particularly on Twitter, and as recently as July:

It’s not surprising Netflix glommed on to the term previously, considering it’s trendy and ripe for memes, but it’s also worth considering that Netflix has helped to drive the popularity of binge-watching by dropping full seasons of its original shows oll at once rather than meting out individual episodes like traditional networks.

While the term “binge-watching” may have negative connotations, many viewers have positive associations with the practice itself. Back in 2013, when simultaneous release for TV shows was still a relatively new concept, 61% of surveyed Netflix users said they regularly binge-watched, and 79% said they believed shows were more enjoyable when they could watch several episodes at once. Another, more recent survey found that stigmas surrounding binge-watching in public are becoming less of a concern.

If this truly is the beginning of Netflix divorcing from the term, it’s worth wondering if Neflix will also encourage its subscribers to divorce from the practice. It could pull a YouTube and tell people exactly how much time they spend watching content…or it could move away from simultaneous releasing its original shows. But that’s not looking likely.