Netflix cancelled "Marco Polo" after its second season. It is reportedly the first show that the company ended before the third season. "Marco Polo" was cancelled together with other shows, including "Lilyhammer," "Bloodline'' and "Hemlock Grove." The Netflix cancelled the show due to low viewership and Millions of dollar's losses.
The "Marco Polo" premiered in Netflix in 2014 with 10 episodes in its first season. The second season then follows with another 10 episodes in July 2016. The Netflix drama series "Marco Polo" was actually received nominations and awards. It was nominated as "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music" and "American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Television Movie/Mini-Series/Pilot."
Netflix "Marco Polo" was also awarded by American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series. Though it receives appreciations from some institutions, it's viewers hit failed and cause loss to the company.
According to the New York Time report, Netflix and other streaming services, like Amazon and Hulu, these streaming sites do not disclose ratings of their shows. But the reviews for the "Marco Polo" drama series were almost negative.
In the four years that Netflix has been streaming original shows, the service has been in a historic buildup mode by out-spending every competitor, including HBO and Amazon. But the cancellation of "Marco Polo" might be a sign that Netflix will become more selective about the shows and original series.
Hollywood Reporter cited that "Marco Polo" lost more than $200 million for its first two seasons. The financial losses the show incurred, coupled with underwhelming reviews for both seasons, pushed Netflix and The Weinstein Company, the co-producer, to end the project.
"Marco Polo" also reported as one of the most expensive shows for pay TV. Unfortunately, it doesn't receive enough results for its cost. Netflix and The Weinstein Company just did what is appropriate.