i feel like theres a good question to be asked about netflix/streaming habits and how they deem shows/films to be successful

but im not smart enough to come up with one

The covert reference is just an exaggeration. However is asking irrelevant questions apart of the work agenda ? I too been in offices (including Nielsens’) and don’t ask random questions like the ones you’re trying to crowdsource because more than likely they aren’t going to know the full answer off top. This thread just seems like you want some internet points

It depends, when I've been to other offices in the past I always find it cool to ask relevant questions about adjacent or similar industries - as long as it's not blatantly confidential or hyper-specific information.
I work in media so the people I'm talking to are doing market research usually in these types of sectors - it's not as if I'm coming into the food research part of Nielsen or something and then trying to ask them media questions. The guys I know at Nielsen are nice and have worked there a long time, so they usually know a lot of this type of stuff and don't mind giving answers.
I get a lot of this stuff is usually cynical when it's posted online, but at the same time i find a lot of the entertainment industry is often (or always) a walled garden and it's hard for people not working within it to get answers to certain things outside of rumors; since I work in an industry lots of people are interested in and I understand the consumer side of things being from a legit background not born into this stuff by any means, I like being able to answer things people are curious about.