It seems fans just can’t get enough of the Upside Down, even after four seasons of Stranger Things. The highly-popular Netflix hit topped Nielson’s year-end streaming chart to become the most-streamed series and overall programme of 2022.
Buoyed by the summer release of its fourth season, the supernatural drama racked up more than 52 billion minutes of viewing time over the year, which marks the highest viewership total since the pandemic-fuelled 57.1 billion minutes pulled in by NBC’s The Office. It’s quite the impressive feat for Stranger Things, considering there are only 34 episodes of the series as compared to the sitcom’s 192-episode run.
Overall, the runaway blockbuster show still holds the title as the number one most-watched English-language show within its four weeks of release. Ozark, another Netflix original, and Addams Family-based spinoff Wednesday, trail behind with a respective second and third place ranking on the original series list.
The most-streamed titles of 2022 (from 27 December 2021 to 25 December 22) may be viewed below, but do note that the ratings only measure U.S. audience, not those in other countries:
1. Stranger Things (Netflix), 52 billion minutes
2. Ozark (Netflix), 31.3 billion
3. Wednesday (Netflix), 18.6 billion
4. Cobra Kai (Netflix), 16.7 billion
5. Bridgerton (Netflix), 14 billion
6. Virgin River (Netflix), 13.6 billion
7. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix), 13.4 billion
8. Love Is Blind (Netflix), 13.1 billion
9. Inventing Anna (Netflix), 12.9 billion
10. The Crown (Netflix), 12.7 billion
11. The Boys (Prime Video), 10.6 billion
11 (tie) The Great British Baking Show (Netflix), 10.6 billion
13. The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), 10.5 billion
14. The Last Kingdom (Netflix), 10.4 billion
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime Video), 9.4 billion
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things promises to set up an epic conclusion, and will be much anticipated by fans. While story details remain under wraps, the Duffer Brothers have stated that it’ll limit new characters and focus on existing ones, with each episode expected to be shorter than that of its predecessor.
Filming on Season 5 of Stranger Things is due to begin later in 2023. A release date has yet to be announced, but the reveal of its premiere episode title is hyping fans up — even it gives very few details of the overarching plot.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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