Although Netflix did not release an exact total for Dec. 25 viewing, the streamer confirmed that Stranger Things Season 5 was the most-watched title on the platform worldwide that day. Three new episodes dropped on Christmas, helping the season rack up 34.5 million views globally during the week of Dec. 22–28.
That makes it the second-strongest week for the season so far. The show’s November debut brought in 59.6 million views, which Netflix previously called its biggest-ever opening week for an English-language TV series.
Netflix does not break down viewership by volume, so it’s unclear whether the first or second batch of episodes attracted more viewers. The company calculates views by dividing total hours watched by a season’s runtime, and this week’s figure includes all seven episodes currently available.
There is still one episode left in Stranger Things Season 5. In an unusual move, Netflix plans to premiere the series finale in movie theaters on New Year’s Eve, with the episode also releasing on the streaming service at the same time.
Because the finale has not yet aired, Season 5 is not eligible for Netflix’s all-time popularity rankings. Once the final episode drops on Dec. 31, the show will enter the 91-day window during which viewing counts toward those charts. Given its strong performance so far, it is widely expected to land among Netflix’s most popular English-language series ever.
For the week overall, Stranger Things easily topped Netflix’s TV charts. It was followed closely by The Great Flood, a South Korean film that led the non-English-language movies list.
Holiday favorites also performed well. Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch topped the English-language movies chart with 16.5 million views, showing strong family viewing over Christmas.
On the English-language TV chart, Emily in Paris Season 5 took the No. 2 spot with 13.3 million views in its second week. A new comedy special from Dave Chappelle, titled The Unstoppable…, followed at No. 3 with 9.2 million views.
Several older seasons of Stranger Things also returned to the charts, suggesting many viewers were rewatching or catching up over the holidays. Season 1 ranked No. 5, Season 4 came in at No. 6, and Seasons 2 and 3 both landed in the top 10.
Rounding out the list were a mix of documentaries, family titles, and even Netflix’s seasonal standby, Fireplace for Your Home: Crackling Birchwood Fireplace, which once again found an audience during the festive week.
With record Christmas Day viewing and one major finale still to come, Netflix appears to be closing out the year on a very strong note.
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