‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Sets New Netflix Viewership Records

Stranger Things returned with the first part of its fifth and final season, and the response was massive from day one. Netflix released Volume 1 worldwide on Thanksgiving Eve, and the show immediately took over the platform.

The company says the new season became the most-watched English-language premiere in its history, pulling in 59.6 million views and more than 284 million hours watched during its first week. It also reached the number one spot worldwide for the week of November 24 to November 30.

The launch was expected to be big, but Netflix’s numbers show just how strong the fan interest still is. The long wait, the heavy promotion, and years of hype all helped push the season to the top as soon as it arrived.

Netflix shared a playful message when announcing the results, saying, “Stranger Things fans everywhere set their dials to WSQK, The Squawk, tuning in to DJ Rockin’ Robin and the rest of the Hawkins crew as they continue their fight against Vecna for the fate of the world.” The company added that the new season ranked in the Top 10 in every country it tracks and hit the number one spot in nearly all of them.

The Duffer Brothers also reacted to the strong start, saying they were overwhelmed by the response. “The sheer number of fans who have already watched Volume 1 is staggering — the response has been more than we ever could have dreamed,” they said. They thanked everyone involved with the show and said they were excited for viewers to see the rest of the season.

While Volume 1 led the charts, the earlier seasons also surged again. Netflix reports that all five seasons appeared in the global Top 10 at the same time, which is a first for an English-language series. The platform also says the first four seasons together have reached more than 1.2 billion views since they debuted.

Fans won’t have to wait long for the next chapter. Netflix plans to release three more episodes on Christmas Day, followed by the series finale on New Year’s Eve. The last episode will be available on Netflix and shown in select theaters.

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