Stranger Things Just Lost Netflix's #1 Viewership Spot (New Data)

By Richard Nebens Posted:
Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown, Eleven

According to newly released data, Stranger Things is no longer Netflix's top dog when it comes to fan viewership.

For the last seven years, Netflix's hit original series Stranger Things has stood as one of the most popular shows not just on that service but across the entire streaming and cable landscape.

The show's upcoming fifth season will make its cast one of the highest-paid groups of actors in any currently running series, which is due in large part to the show consistently earning massive viewership numbers and excellent ratings.

Despite stiff competition in 2022 from The Boys, House of the Dragon, and Euphoria, Stranger Things topped viewing lists by quite a wide margin with no signs of slowing down.

Stranger Things Loses Top Viewership Slot

Wednesday Netflix poster
Netflix

Variety shared the rankings for Netflix's top 10 most-watched shows for the last 91 days, revealing that Stranger Things is no longer at the top of the viewership rankings.

Jenna Ortega's Wednesday ranked at the top of the list with 252.1 million views, while Stranger Things Season 4 came in at a distant second place with 140.7 million views.

This is based on a new way Netflix is reporting its top 10 rankings, now providing an estimated viewership for the weekly charts for its top shows and movies. 

This will take traditional hours viewed and divide that number by the show or film's total runtime, while Netflix extends the measurement window from 28 days to 91 days.

Stranger Things did have a second season of the series ranked in the top 10, however, with Season 3 coming in seventh place at 94.8 million views.

The full rankings can be seen below:

  1. Wednesday - 252.1M
  2. Stranger Things (Season 4) - 140.7M
  3. DAHMER - 115.6M
  4. Bridgerton (Season 1) - 113.3M
  5. The Queen's Gambit - 112.8M
  6. The Night Agent (Season 1) - 98.2M
  7. Stranger Things (Season 3) - 94.8M
  8. Bridgerton (Season 2) - 93.8M
  9. The Witcher (Season 1) - 83M
  10. The Watcher (Season 1) - 79.6M

Will Stranger Things Regain Top Spot with Season 5?

Even though all great runs have to come to an end at some point, and even considering how much fans gravitated toward Wednesday, it's still shocking to see a viewership rankings list without Stranger Things at the top.

But with Wednesday's second season still waiting to officially go into production, Stranger Things may have a shot at the title once again as it works towards its next major expansion.

Producer/director Shawn Levy recently revealed that the team is working towards building out the STCU (Stranger Things Cinematic Universe), working with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to push this series beyond just one show on Netflix.

But with Season 5 confirmed to be the final season for this massively-successful streaming series, diehards and new fans alike will be itching to find out how series creators Matt and Ross Duffer intend to end this supernatural saga.

The first four seasons of Stranger Things are now streaming on Netflix.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.