No child's play: why Squid Game is attracting eyeballs across the world

Bye Bridgerton, so long The Crown, au revoir Lupin – there’s a new binge boss in town and it’s sucking in viewers like no other. 

Squid Game, the Korean horror-thriller series that everyone is talking about, shot to the No 1 spot on Netflix in 94 countries within a month of its launch on 17 September, raking in 111 million fans and becoming the first South Korean show to go to number one in the US. 

To put the numbers into context, previous record holder Bridgerton had 82 million viewers in the show’s first 28 days. And Squid Game’s 111 million viewers represent represent more than half of Netflix’s 209 million subscribers, which gives you a fair idea of the hype around it.