South Korea's 'Squid Game' is Netflix's biggest debut show

Hit South Korean show "Squid Game" has officially become Netflix's biggest original series launch.

The nine-part thriller, in which cash-strapped contestants play childhood games with deadly consequences in a bid to win 45.6 billion won ($38 million), has become a worldwide sensation for Netflix since its launch less than a month ago.

"Squid Game has officially reached 111 million fans – making it our biggest series launch ever!" Netflix posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

The series has reached a total of 111 million viewers in just 27 days, easily outpacing UK costume drama "Bridgerton", which was streamed by 82 million accounts in its first 28 days.

Viral sensation sparks debate

The dystopian drama has inspired countless memes, Halloween costumes of the ubiquitious green tracksuits worn by contestants and real world recreations of the various games. It has also sparked a debate within South Korea about toxic competitive societies and prompted new interest in the country's culture and language

"We did not see that coming, in terms of its global popularity," said, Netflix's co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos during a tech conference in California, displaying that the streaming service was surprised by how popular "Squid Game" has become.

Netflix provides limited information on viewing figures for its platform and cuts the data it does give in various ways. The 28-day debut numbers it issued for Bridgerton and other shows included any account that watched an episode for at least two minutes.

Previously, South Korean Internet service provider SK Broadband sued Netflix to pay for costs from increased network traffic and maintenance work because of the surge in viewers.