Why Netflix Is Adding A Double Thumbs Up Button

In 2017, Business Insider reported that Netflix’s Cameron Johnson described the switch from a star system to a thumb system as having allowed the platform to be more transparent in what a score actually meant.

In fact, scores shown in the interface didn’t actually equate to the average score given by all users; it was instead based on how highly people with similar tastes had scored it in the past, and it was basically just trying to tell viewers their odds of also liking the content based on what the algorithm already knew of their tastes. According to Protocol, Netflix discovered there was a 200% increase in engagement when they dropped the star system completely in lieu of a simple thumbs up or thumbs down.

Netflix’s new Double Thumbs Up system has been in the works for about a year, but it may not be the final iteration of the rating system that we end up with. In fact, Netflix has plenty of reasons to continue building on this new system. In light of that, if viewers can finally decide to give certain shows a Double Thumbs Up, why not include a Double Thumbs Down button, as well? Regardless, Netflix is now steadily rolling out its new Double Thumbs Up feature to users worldwide who will soon be able to start curating their TV backlogs with improved precision.