Netflix is being challenged for internet traffic from squid game

Squid Game is breaking records and on its way to becoming one of Netflix’s most popular shows of all time, to the point where the streaming service is being challenged for the show’s internet traffic.

Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama about 456 people who compete in a series of life-threatening children’s games in the hopes of winning a $38.7 million reward. The series premiered on September 17 in the United States and soon became one of Netflix’s most popular shows in its first week.

Netflix’s most popular shows of all time

The dark social satire that remarks on South Koreans’ frustrations with rising income inequality in Asia’s richest country is one of the reasons why the nine-episode series is so popular. Hundreds of South Korean marginalized communities, including a North Korean defector and a debt-ridden parent, compete for life in Squid Game.

While competing for a large financial reward, the losing candidates are killed off in the middle of the games while the country’s wealthy elite watch on in amazement. The idea of the Squid Game has become so popular that it has led Korean politicians to use it as a weapon against their opponents in next March’s presidential election.

According to Reuters, Netflix is being sued over increased internet traffic caused by Squid Game. SK Broadband, a South Korean internet service provider, is suing Netflix to recover costs related to increased network traffic and maintenance as a result of a surge in viewers from Squid Game and other popular Netflix shows.

To accommodate Netflix’s traffic, SK Broadband must now process 1.2 trillion bits of data each second. Netflix’s network usage cost is expected to be roughly $22.9 million in 2020, according to the internet provider.

Squid Game isn’t the sole reason for the lawsuit

Netflix appears to be responsible for its fair share of network usage fees, based on the court’s decision and SK Broadband’s claim. This is especially true given the fact that Netflix has been paying Comcast Corp. for faster streaming services in the United States for the past seven years.

While the success of Squid Game isn’t the only cause for the lawsuit, it appears to have been the tipping point. After all, if Netflix requires financial support, it may always enter a series of children’s games.