GTA 6 preview tops Netflix charts with 31.1 million views

Netflix’s GTA 6 preview drew 31.1 million views, topping platform’s global charts for week

Netflix’s Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look attracted 31.1 million views in its first few days, making it the platform’s most-watched film or TV title for the week of Aug. 24-30.

The 27-minute preview was released on Netflix on Thursday, Aug. 28, before footage became available on the Rockstar Games YouTube channel six hours later.

According to Variety, the special ranked No. 1 on Netflix’s English-language film list in 87 of the 93 countries tracked by the streamer.

The closest competition was The Whisper Man, which recorded 23.2 million views during the same week, almost 8 million fewer than the GTA 6 preview.

Interest in the presentation also affected Netflix’s service. The platform briefly crashed on its premiere day, while concurrent users reportedly increased by 35%. Netflix app downloads also rose by 24%.

Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look features new cutscenes, combat sequences and gameplay footage featuring protagonists Jason and Lucia in the fictional Vice City. The pair become involved in a criminal conspiracy across the state of Leonida after a job goes wrong.

Netflix VP of Nonfiction Series Brandon Riegg said the partnership with Rockstar reflected the interest surrounding the game.

“Grand Theft Auto reveals have become cultural moments in their own right,” Riegg said in a statement. “The anticipation and fandom around Grand Theft Auto VI is unprecedented, and we're honored that Rockstar Games has partnered with us to debut the next part of the Grand Theft Auto story with Netflix members first.”

GTA 6 is scheduled to launch on Nov. 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, 13 years after GTA V.