The list of the top 10 most viewed programs on Netflix in the past week is completely dominated by a single show, Stranger Things. Making its triumphant return this May, Stranger Things season 4 brought the world of Hawkins, Indiana and the Upside Down back to small screens with a bang. Featuring the terrifying new villain, Vecna, and a host of great new characters, season 4 has already become a favorite among many Stranger Things fans and has received widespread acclaim for its horror and character work, although some have criticized it for its lengthy episode runtimes.
The extended episodes have no doubt contributed to the fact that Stranger Things season 4 broke a viewership record, and it didn’t need much time in order to do so. Netflix reported that, three days after Stranger Things season 4’s release, it had been watched for more than 287 million hours, taking the top spot for streams in the first week of release. In doing so, it surpassed Bridgerton season 2’s total of 193 million.
It seems however, that it’s not only Stranger Things season 4 which is racking up the views, as media analyst Rich Greenfield revealed on Twitter that all four seasons have entered the top 10 of Netflix’s most viewed programs of last week. The very top spot is held by season 4 with a total of 335 million hours watched; maintaining a healthy margin over season 1 which is in second place with 75 million hours. Season 2 and season 3 then take up third and fourth place respectively, with 58 and 47 million hours each. See Greenfield’s tweet along with the full top 10 below:
For Netflix, this is unbelievable news. 2022 has been a difficult year for the Netflix, as $50 billion was wiped off its market value due to subscriber loss, a trend some experts are expecting to continue. The immense viewership of not only Stranger Things' latest season but also its previous releases too will therefore come as a relief, as immense public interest in one of the streamer’s tentpole properties can only boost their image, and might help to ease their financial woes.
In the meantime, Stranger Things season 4 is well on-track to take over Squid Game’s crown of Netflix’s most-watched show ever, which is a remarkable achievement. In total, the Korean survival drama amassed 1.6 billion hours of viewership in its first 28 days; almost 1 billion more than the second season of Bridgerton, which is in second place with 656 million. Currently, Stranger Things season 4 has 621 million hours of viewership, although it has managed to reach this number in only 14 days. Should trends continue, then the Duffer brothers' smash sci-fi horror hit will be joining the very top of Netflix’s viewership tower in no time.
Source: Rich Greenfield