No relationship is safe.
According to a new study released today by Netflix, over half (52%) of viewers in Asia have “cheated” on their significant other, higher than the global average of 46%! In fact, 43% of the Filipino viewers are cheaters, which is not so far off the global average.
So what kind of cheating? Well, the kind that happens when you watch a TV show ahead of your significant other (who just punched their husband on the arm?). A study in the U.S. in 2013 revealed that 12% of Americans admitted to "streaming infidelity" or "Netflix cheating."
Four years later, it's now a binge-watching world where it’s easy to say ‘just one more,’ and Netflix cheating has quickly become the new normal.
Where is cheating happening? Everywhere
Globally speaking, cheaters are found in Mexico and Brazil, where 58% of streaming couples have cheated. In Asia, Hong Kong (59%) and India (46%) lead the pack of cheaters.
What shows are we cheating with? All of them
People in Asia-Pacific cheat on all types of shows. While Singaporeans cheat on drama, most Filipino cheaters, 88% of them, go for comedy (78%), just like in India and South Korea. In fact, comedy has the highest percentage (45%) of the type of show cheaters cheat with, followed by sci-fi/fantasy and horror (40% each).
Pinoy cheaters just can’t seem to get enough of Jane the Virgin and Arrow (both genders are cheating based on those shows!), while the top show temptations in Asia-Pacific are Gossip Girl, Star Trek, Stranger Things and Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories.
Why do we cheat? (We just can't help it)
Most don’t plan to cheat, it just happens. In fact, 83% of cheating in Asia-Pacific is unplanned. As for triggers, shows are just so good we can’t stop bingeing (60% in APAC). Once you’ve cheated, you’re likely to do it again, according to the numbers: 81% of cheaters globally are repeat offenders, and 44% have cheated three times.
In the Philippines, most cheaters give in to the temptation of their uncontrollable pleasures. Seventy-three percent of the cheaters say that the shows are too good to stop watching. Filipinos don't think streaming infidelity is a problem, so they have no reservations about actually doing it. Asked if it’s worse than forgetting an anniversary or having an actual affair, 36% of the cheaters answered that Netflix cheating is not bad at all! A whopping 55% of Filipino users would cheat if they could get away with it. Hmp.
But it must be said that the Philippines has the most loyal couple viewers in the region with 57% non-cheaters (awww). As for the rest of the world, 73% in Netherlands have not cheated, Germany follows with 65%, and Poland comes in at 60%.
How do we cheat? Any way we can
Sleep with one eye open: 25% of cheating happens when one partner falls asleep. But whether this is even cheating is hotly debated. Half of the consumers say “sleep cheating” doesn’t count (46% in Asia-Pacific) but the morality of “sleep cheating” varies across the globe. It’s a different thing altogether here in the Philippines since cheating is no biggie for the Filipinos. No intricate strategies, no sneaking around. The majority of the cheaters (72%) do it when they’re home alone. Easy-peasy, right?
Is my partner a cheater? Spoiler alert: most likely
Netflix-cheating has become more socially acceptable, with 32% in APAC saying it’s “not bad at all.” Unless, of course, you live in Hong Kong, where 40% think watching ahead of your partner is worse than having an actual affair.
While 80% in Hong Kong and Japan would do it more if they could get away with it, relatively fewer people here in the Philippines (55%) would cheat if they wouldn’t get caught. However, don’t expect your partner to own up to their cheating since 39% in Asia-Pacific never confess. In fact, only 43% of cheaters in the Philippines have admitted they cheat.
Netflix-cheating comes in many forms. Which one of these are you?
Methodology
The survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey from December 20-31, 2016 and based on 30,267 responses. The sample was balanced by age and gender and representative of an adult online population who watch TV shows via streaming services as a couple in The United States, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, India, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, UAE, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, and Denmark.
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