Speak Out: Is “Netflix Adultery” A Problem in Your Relationship?

Is your significant other sneaking around behind your back – and watching a TV show or movie the two of you had planned to watch together?

Many couples have set movies nights or plans to watch certain shows together, but sometimes one partner sneaks and watches the movie by themselves or skips ahead of their partner by a few episodes.

New York Magazine has coined a name for it: “Netflix Adultery.”

Netflix itself has been studying the practice, the magazine reports. The company surveyed 2,000 people and 12 percent said they'd gone ahead and watched episodes of television shows rather than wait for their partner to watch it with them.

Ten percent of those surveyed said they'd been victims of Netflix adultery.

Of those who were “cheating,” 21 percent waiting until their significant other was asleep before watching.

Adding salt to the wound, only 41 percent said they refrained from spoiling the shows or movies once their partners did watch them. 12 percent would rewatch the shows with their partners and pretend to be shocked by plot twists.

Netflix prefers to keep its name out of the issue. When speaking to the magazine, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos referred to it as “stream cheating.”

He said the company has given its customers the ability to watch things whenever they wanted.

“With that said, Netflix can’t be held responsible for any trust issues, lovers’ spats, or marital troubles that arise from watching ahead of your partner,” Sarandos told the magazine. “We also will not cover any therapy sessions. As always, we advise to Watch Responsibly.”

Speak Out: Are you a Netflix adulterer? Would you be annoyed if your guy or girl watched something by themselves that you had planned to watch together? If you have “cheated,” what do you do when it's time to watch the show or movie with your significant other?

Tell us in the comments!