Stranger Things 3 sets new viewership records for Netflix. Two years after the second season premiered, the streaming giant's ever-popular show returned last week with a new batch of episodes that didn't disappoint. While some felt the series veered into overly familiar territory, the general consensus that emerged was that Stranger Things 3 was an entertaining thrill-ride that dealt with the trials and tribulations of growing up, and played out like one of the 1980s blockbusters it pays homage to. Fans are already wildly speculating about what's in store for season 4 - even though that's yet to be officially confirmed yet.
Since its original debut back in 2016, Stranger Things has been one of Netflix's biggest draws, though there's always been some debate as to how many viewers the show attracted. Data from Nielsen and Symphony Advanced Media indicated the figures were huge, but Netflix frequently questioned the validity of the numbers. Fortunately, things seem to be a bit clearer when gauging the popularity of the third season.
On their official Twitter account, Netflix announced Stranger Things 3 is breaking records so far. Approximately 40.7 million household accounts have watched the show since the episodes premiered on July 14. Already, 18.2 million accounts have finished the season. Check out the post in the space below:
It isn't a surprising turn of events to see Stranger Things 3 come storming out of the gates like this. After all, the season 3 trailer was the most-watched video on Netflix's YouTube channel, meaning people were very excited for the show's return. The two-year gap between seasons likely contributed to the increased levels of hype and anticipation. There was also an extensive marketing campaign that dated back to last year, highlighting new additions like the Starcourt Mall location and changing character dynamics that made fans interested in where the story was going. The early praise the season received in the days leading up to its debut was just icing on the cake. Even if word-of-mouth wasn't strong, Stranger Things is so big now, it would have scored a lot of viewers.
As stated above, Stranger Things 4 has not been green lit yet, but it seems like a foregone conclusion it will. Not only did the post-credits scene provide some tantalizing teases of what's to come, the ratings show the series is more popular than it's ever been, and Netflix would be foolish to pull the plug now. The Duffer brothers have indicated Stranger Things will last four or five seasons, and they do have a clear ending in mind before the show overstays its welcome, so it'll be interesting to see how the show's future plays out.
Source: Netflix