Series / Top 10
Completely Overwhelming And Bizarre Viewing Experience; This Netflix Series Breaks All Viewership Records: 59.6 Million Streams In One Week
Stranger Things 5 breaks viewership records with an astonishing 59.6 million streams in its first week.
The return of Stranger Things has completely shaken up Netflix globally. With the fifth season, the series immediately breaks multiple viewership records. The first four episodes were released online on November 26 and garnered 59.6 million global streams within just one week. This marks the highest viewed premiere week ever for an English-language Netflix series. Only Squid Game season 2 has performed better previously.
Notably, it’s not just the new season that is scoring high. All four previous seasons of Stranger Things also re-entered the global top 10 simultaneously. Since its debut in 2016, the series has been viewed a total of 1.2 billion times according to Netflix. The choice of release date and time, a Wednesday evening instead of the usual late-night Friday slot, gave season 5 some additional head start compared to past hits.
The huge success is not a spontaneous spike, but part of a global campaign. Netflix organized events prior to the release in 28 cities across 21 countries. From a Stranger Things presentation at Lucca ComicCon to a bike ride in Los Angeles with tens of thousands of fans. Even during the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the series made an appearance, featuring a Demogorgon on its own float.
The closing party is yet to come. At the end of December, the final episodes of season 5 will be screened in theaters in the US and Canada. This makes the series a rare example of a Netflix production making the leap to the big screen for an official wrap-up. Stranger Things 5 is expected to soon secure a spot on the list of the most popular Netflix series of all time.
In a joint statement, Matt and Ross Duffer thank the fans for their loyalty: "We are overwhelmed by the reactions. This means a lot to us, but also to the hundreds of people who have worked on this for years." They also point out the long pause of more than three years since season 4. Nevertheless, the audience has massively returned to Hawkins, which they believe demonstrates how deeply the series is rooted in popular culture.
Notably, it’s not just the new season that is scoring high. All four previous seasons of Stranger Things also re-entered the global top 10 simultaneously. Since its debut in 2016, the series has been viewed a total of 1.2 billion times according to Netflix. The choice of release date and time, a Wednesday evening instead of the usual late-night Friday slot, gave season 5 some additional head start compared to past hits.
Not A Coincidence
The huge success is not a spontaneous spike, but part of a global campaign. Netflix organized events prior to the release in 28 cities across 21 countries. From a Stranger Things presentation at Lucca ComicCon to a bike ride in Los Angeles with tens of thousands of fans. Even during the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the series made an appearance, featuring a Demogorgon on its own float.
The closing party is yet to come. At the end of December, the final episodes of season 5 will be screened in theaters in the US and Canada. This makes the series a rare example of a Netflix production making the leap to the big screen for an official wrap-up. Stranger Things 5 is expected to soon secure a spot on the list of the most popular Netflix series of all time.
Duffer Brothers Respond To Overwhelming Welcome
In a joint statement, Matt and Ross Duffer thank the fans for their loyalty: "We are overwhelmed by the reactions. This means a lot to us, but also to the hundreds of people who have worked on this for years." They also point out the long pause of more than three years since season 4. Nevertheless, the audience has massively returned to Hawkins, which they believe demonstrates how deeply the series is rooted in popular culture.
