Key Points
- “Stranger Things” was the most-watched streaming title in the first half of 2026, according to Nielsen, with 23.26 billion viewing minutes during H1, according to Nielsen.
- “Bluey” ranked second overall with 22.81 billion minutes on Disney Plus; “The Pitt” on HBO Max was third with 21.12 billion minutes.
- Three streaming originals ranked among the top 10 overall titles, up from one during the same period last year.
Netflix’s “Stranger Things” was the most-watched streaming title in the United States during the first half (H1) of 2026, according to the latest streaming TV ranker from Nielsen.
The series generated 23.26 billion viewing minutes on Netflix between December 29, 2025 and June 28, 2026, Nielsen said in “Streaming Landscape 2026: Trends from the First Half of the Year.”
The performance capped the show’s five-season run with several Nielsen streaming records, including the title of most-watched streaming original of all time. “Stranger Things” also set a weekly Streaming Top 10 record with 8.65 billion viewing minutes during the week of December 29, when its series finale was available.
“Bluey” ranked second overall and first among acquired titles, drawing 22.81 billion viewing minutes on Disney Plus. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” followed with 21.12 billion minutes, making it the second most-watched original series during the period.
Three streaming originals ranked among the top 10 overall titles during the first half of the year, compared with one in Nielsen’s comparable 2025 report. Five titles also exceeded 20 billion viewing minutes, up from two last year.
The rest of the top 10 included “Grey’s Anatomy” with 20.41 billion minutes on Hulu and Netflix, “The Big Bang Theory” with 20.40 billion minutes on HBO Max, “Bridgerton” with 17.15 billion minutes on Netflix, “SpongeBob SquarePants” with 16.89 billion minutes on Paramount Plus, “Family Guy” with 15.96 billion minutes on Hulu, “Bob’s Burgers” with 15.01 billion minutes on Hulu and “Paw Patrol” with 13.56 billion minutes on Prime Video and Paramount Plus.
Nielsen said several sophomore streaming seasons posted notable gains. “Landman” on Paramount Plus ranked fourth among originals and 13th overall with 12.40 billion minutes. “Fallout” on Prime Video reached 7.98 billion minutes, while Hulu’s “Paradise” and Netflix’s “One Piece” each drew 5.66 billion minutes.
Unscripted programming also gained ground. Nielsen said five unscripted series appeared on the half-year charts, up from two last year. They included Peacock’s “The Traitors” and “Love Island USA,” Netflix’s “Love is Blind,” “The First 48” across Hulu, Peacock and Pluto TV and “Survivor” on Paramount Plus.
Among movies, “Zootopia 2” led kids titles with 6.54 billion minutes on Disney Plus. Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” ranked second in the category with 5.59 billion minutes. For general audiences, Netflix’s “The Rip,” starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, led with 4.43 billion minutes, followed by “War Machine” with 3.53 billion minutes.
Nielsen said the rankings are based on total viewing minutes among persons age 2 and older through its Streaming Content Ratings service. The company plans to release its full-year list of top streaming programs in early 2027.
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