When people look back at the biggest TV moments of 2025, a few shows immediately come to mind. The return of Stranger Things was a major event, and it also marked the end of the series. Adolescence became a huge cultural phenomenon, even leading to a meeting between the show’s creators and the UK Prime Minister. And then there was that unforgettable episode of The Last of Us – the one everyone is still talking about.
Surprisingly, despite all the new releases, Bluey was the most-streamed show in the US in 2025. That’s right – the beloved and often emotional animated series on Disney+ topped the charts again!
Nielsen’s latest streaming ratings, reported by Variety, show that a popular show about a family of dogs is the most-watched for the second year in a row. Grey’s Anatomy came in second place in 2025, while Stranger Things was third.
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But when you look at Nielsen’s data, which focuses only on original shows and movies (according to Variety), the list of what people streamed the most in 2025 looks different – and this is specifically for viewers in the US.
As a huge fan, I wasn’t surprised to hear Stranger Things dominated the top 10! And honestly, the numbers they have don’t even include the finale. Nielsen’s data only went up to December 28th, but we all know the super-long final episode dropped worldwide on New Year’s Eve or Day – so it probably would have been even higher if that was included!
Netflix had a strong showing in the 2025 rankings of original streaming shows, with five series making the top 10. Squid Game ranked second, followed by Wednesday in third. Ginny & Georgia, The Night Agent, and Love Is Blind also appeared on the list. Rounding out the top shows were Landman from Paramount+ and Reacher from Prime Video.
The fifth season of Stranger Things has broken its own viewership records. Nielsen’s latest report shows the initial episodes earned an incredible 8.47 billion viewing minutes in its first week – making it the most-watched week ever for any season of the show, surpassing the previous record held by season four.
Season five of Stranger Things has quickly become one of Netflix’s most popular English-language series ever, ranking just below season four. Currently, Wednesday remains at the very top of Netflix’s global popularity chart.
Stranger Things is available on Netflix.
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2026-01-29 18:19