Netflix continues to explore serious crime shows despite the legal risks. Streamers are facing a growing number of defamation lawsuits, which could increase production costs. But Netflix has no intention of easing its fees, as the genre drives subscriber engagement.
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“Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez,” about the 1989 murder of the main characters’ parents, quickly shot to number one on Netflix, but just as quickly, the people portrayed in the show sparked a backlash against its accuracy.
Meanwhile, Netflix faces defamation lawsuits over other popular shows based on true stories, including the stalker story “Baby Reindeer” and “The Invention of Anna,” about the Anna Sorokin (aka Anna Delvey) scam. are. Since 2019, more than 20 defamation lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. against Netflix and its production partners over the true stories that are the subject of Netflix shows, according to a tally by The Wall Street Journal. At least six similar lawsuits have been filed. The newspaper reported that the cost of producing such programs is rising due to an increase in litigation.
But that hasn’t dampened Netflix’s thirst for crime movies, which shows no signs of slowing down, according to Business Insider interviews with agents and producers and data commissioned by Ampere Analysis.
Other streamers such as Hulu and Peacock also stock their libraries with true crime, but none have the ability to garner as much attention as Netflix, which has more than 282 million subscribers worldwide.
Guy Bisson, executive director of Ampere Analysis, said that of the six major streamers’ commissioning activity, crime titles have seen the largest year-over-year increase so far this year, with four of the world’s scripted titles. He said that it accounts for 1/2 of the total. Run the content. Meanwhile, traditionally expensive genres such as science fiction and fantasy have seen the biggest declines, he added.
“I think what’s generally happening is a shift towards broadcast streaming, or a move away from expensive content,” Bisson said. “Streaming has to attract a general audience, so they’re trying to get a higher return.”
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The true crime show is regularly among the most-watched shows on Netflix. Mega producer Ryan Murphy’s “Dahmer” was the third most popular TV show of all time on Netflix as of September 29, with more than 1 billion hours watched. The next Murphy feature in the same anthology series, “Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez,” also topped Netflix’s list of 10 U.S. TV shows in its first two weeks. According to streaming measurement and research service Digital i, two of Netflix’s top 10 TV shows in the third quarter were crime series (Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez and American Murder: Lacey・Peterson”).
“Obviously it’s working out well for them,” said one top TV agent, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect business relationships, adding that Netflix, like other platforms, “is responding to what people want.”
Netflix faces lawsuit over true crime show
While full-scale crime dramas can be low-budget hits, they can also come with legal risks and associated costs.
Another smash hit, “Baby Reindeer,” spent eight weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV list and won six Emmy Awards. But it also led to lawsuits. Netflix has failed to convince a judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought by the woman who inspired its drama series, seeking at least $170 million. Netflix argued that most viewers would understand that the show’s claims were not true because it was dramatized. The judge ruled that although certain events in the show did not actually occur, it was promoted as a “true story” and viewers were encouraged to accept it as such. Nevertheless, the courtroom drama prompted Netflix to form a new partnership with show creator Richard Gadd in September.
Netflix is also being sued by Rachel Williams, a friend of Anna Sorokin. She claims that “The Invention of Anna,” created by superstar showrunner Shonda Rhimes, portrayed her as an opportunistic sidekick rather than a sucker. Netflix recently sought protection for the notes of a New York magazine writer who inspired the series.
With all the legal issues, some might have expected Netflix to pull away from the genre, but that hasn’t been the case. One reason is that polls show that people like to see depictions of true crime on screen, with half of Americans saying they enjoy the genre.
“I don’t think this will stop them,” said another investigator, referring to the legal issues surrounding some crime shows. I will continue to look for things that are popular and cool.
People may get tired of Ryan Murphy being so ubiquitous that they turn to less gory shows for entertainment. Or the true crime phenomenon may lose momentum. Data from Parrot Analytics shows that viewer demand for true crime documentaries, as opposed to scripted shows, far outstrips supply on Netflix. A second agent said Netflix is wary of oversaturated topics.
“I think it’s more difficult now because there are so many serial killers,” the investigator added.
For now, though, Netflix will continue to give people what they want.
A third installment of Monsters, starring serial killer Ed Gein, has already been announced.
