The Circle
Everything you need to know about the social media game show, The Circle
The Circle welcomes you to the ultimate social media game, where to players, popularity is everything – especially with $100,000 on the line.
In each season, a group of players are moved into camera-fitted apartments in the same building and are instructed to set up a social media profile on ‘The Circle’.
Players can decide whether to be honest, or to be a catfish and fake a persona for the sake of the game. Previous contestants have used this to play as people more attractive, a different gender, or a different sexuality in order to win favor with the other players.
From that point, contestants can only communicate with other players in the game via the social media service, with the show giving them games and the opportunity to privately message other players in order to get them on their side.
The Circle uses voice recognition software from players, so the messages are received in text on their app screen.
Periodically, they’ll be asked to rank the other players based on how much they like them. The top players win special privileges as ‘influencers’, while the bottom run the risk of being ‘blocked’ and eliminated from the game.
Before any eliminated player leaves, they get to visit the apartment of someone else in the game. Then new players enter.
At the end of the game, the person who is ranked the most popular player by their peers is declared the winner and gets to take home $100,000.
Who hosts The Circle?
The Circle largely works without the need for a presenter; however, Michelle Buteau acts as narrator for the series and presents the initial episode as well as the finale.
Michelle Buteau is an American actress, podcaster, and stand-up comedian, who has won awards for her comedy.
She also fronts her own sitcom, Survival of the Thickest, which is also on Netflix.
She has been working in comedy since 2001, with her stand-up special Welcome to Buteaupia dropping in 2020 and winning Best Comedy Special at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
Her acting credits include films Someone Great, Isn't It Romantic, and Always Be My Maybe, all of which are available on Netflix.
How many seasons of The Circle are there?
The Circle was originally a Channel 4 series before it moved to Netflix. On the streaming service, it ran for seven seasons between 2020 and 2024.
Episodes dropped weekly, with each season varying in length between 10 to 14 hour-long episodes each.
As of March 2026, there are currently no plans or announcements for any further seasons.
What is the age rating of The Circle?
The Circle, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is rated 15 – meaning it has been deemed unsuitable for young audiences.
Reasons for this rating include:
- Jokes of a sexual nature
- Frequent use of profanity
- Scenes of aggressive behaviour – though players are alone and so is non-violent
- Heated arguments
- Discussions on personal stories that some may find upsetting
How to watch The Circle on Sky
The Circle is a Netflix series – and from March 2026, Sky is bringing together HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and (from July 2026) Hayu all under a single subscription.
That means millions of existing customers will get unrivalled access to unmissable entertainment as part of their Sky TV subscription!
For more information on how Sky TV is getting even better – click here!
You can find out how to activate your Netflix account to your Sky Stream account here.
The Circle is available to watch on Netflix via Sky.
