South Korean show “Squid Game” has debuted as Netflix’s biggest original series launch in a span of 27 days.
The streaming service said on Wednesday that in the nine-part thriller cash-strapped contestants play childhood games with deadly consequences in a bid to win 45.6 billion won ($38 million).
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The show has become a worldwide sensation for Netflix since its launch less than a month ago.
The dystopian drama has inspired countless memes and also sparked a debate within South Korea about toxic competitive societies and prompted new interest in the country’s culture and language around the world.
In a Twitter post Netflix said, “ Squid Game has officially reached 111 million fans — making it our biggest series launch ever!”
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The series achieved the numbers in just 27 days, since it was released on September 17 and outpaced U.K. costume drama “Bridgerton”, which was streamed by 82 million accounts in its first 28 days.
Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said the streaming service was surprised by how popular “Squid Game” has become.
The series remains so popular that South Korean Internet service provider SK Broadband has sued Netflix to pay for costs from increased network traffic and maintenance work due to the surge in viewer numbers. (AW)
