Netflix Inc’s animated holiday movie, “Klaus”, has been watched in nearly 30 million households worldwide during its first month, landing among the streaming service’s most-watched original movies, according to data the company provided.
“Klaus,” a story of how Santa came to be, is Netflix’s first original animated film and part of an effort to build a library of family programming as it competes with new streaming rivals including Walt Disney Co (DIS.N).
“Klaus” has attracted high repeat viewing that is not included in the nearly 30 million figure, Netflix said. The number reflects viewership over the first 28 days since its Nov. 15 debut.
Made mainly using hand-drawn animation, the film tells the story of a selfish postman and a reclusive toymaker who form an unlikely friendship. It was written and directed by Spanish animator and “Despicable Me” creator Sergio Pablos and features the voices of J.K. Simmons and Jason Schwartzman.
The world’s largest streaming service, Netflix boasts more than 158 million subscribers around the world. But it is facing new competition, particularly from Disney, which has been removing its movies from Netflix and putting them on the Disney+ streaming service.
Earlier this month, Netflix Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, said that mob epic “The Irishman” was likely to hit 40 million views within its first month. Last December’s thriller “Bird Box” was streamed by more than 80 million households in its first month, Netflix said.
