Record-breaking debut for Netflix show

Netflix has achieved its largest debut week ever for an English-language series with the launch of Stranger Things season five. The first volume of the final season drew 59.6 million views in its opening week, claiming the number one spot on Netflix's English TV rankings, the company revealed on Tuesday.

Creators Ross and Matt Duffer expressed their excitement, saying, The sheer scale of the audience already watching Volume 1 is astonishing. After a decade, seeing the fanbase continue to grow has been immensely rewarding for us, the cast, and the countless artists who brought this story to life. We are thrilled to share Volume 2 so much more awaits!

This milestone surpasses the previous premiere-week record held by season one of Wednesday, which reached around 56 million views in its first four days back in 2022. It also ranks as the third-largest debut overall, only trailing behind seasons two and three of the Korean sensation Squid Game. The all-time record remains with Squid Game season two, which amassed 68 million views.

All five seasons of Stranger Things are currently listed among Netflix's top 10 shows. During the past week, the series appeared in the top 10 in all 93 countries Netflix monitors, securing the number one position in 90 of them. Additionally, it claimed more than half of the platform's top 10 rankings, marking a first for an English-language series.

Since their debut, the first four seasons of Stranger Things have accumulated over 1.2 billion views. The sci-fi phenomenon, which has attracted fans worldwide since 2016, will release the next three episodes on Christmas Day, with the roughly two-hour finale arriving on New Years Eve both on Netflix and in over 500 theaters.

The cast has included Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo since the beginning, alongside Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Winona Ryder, and David Harbour. Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke have remained audience favorites after joining in seasons two and three.

Set in the 1980s, Stranger Things follows the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, as their lives are disrupted by the arrival of a girl from an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down.

Author: Sophia Brooks