Observed Signal · Jan 28, 2026 · Measurement Report · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Stranger Things Shatters Holiday Streaming Records
Netflix’s final season of Stranger Things dominated Christmas week viewing, registering 6.89 billion minutes watched, according to Nielsen — the third-largest streaming week on record. The holiday surge benefited multiple streamers: Paramount+’s Landman logged 1.64 billion minutes, Prime Video’s Fallout rose 16% to just over 900 million minutes, and Apple TV+’s Pluribus hit a series high near 500 million minutes. Licensed and nostalgic titles also performed strongly: TNT’s The Closer became the top licensed show (~1 billion minutes) and Disney+’s Home Alone surpassed one billion minutes for the holiday. Nielsen reported streaming captured a record 47.5% of all TV usage in December. The data highlights the continued value of event originals plus deep content libraries for driving CTV/streaming audiences during peak periods.
Nielsen viewership figures and a record streaming share (47.5% of TV usage) materially inform CTV/streaming audience trends, content programming strategies, and advertiser planning during a key seasonal period — notable for media buyers and platform monetization but not a platform policy or technical change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Netflix’s Stranger Things final season drew 6.89 billion minutes of watch time during Christmas week (Nielsen).
- Nielsen ranked that week as the third-largest streaming week ever recorded.
- Paramount+’s Landman reached 1.64 billion minutes watched that week.
- Prime Video’s Fallout increased 16% to over 900 million minutes with a weekly release strategy.
- Nielsen reported streaming accounted for a record 47.5% of all TV usage in December 2025.
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Stranger Things Dominates Streaming Charts for Ninth Week
Nielsen’s Streaming Content Ratings for the week of Jan. 5 show Netflix’s Stranger Things remained No. 1 for a ninth consecutive week with 3.201 billion viewing minutes, while Paramount+’s Landman held the No. 2 spot for a fourth straight week with 1.425 billion minutes. Nielsen reported four titles crossed the billion-viewing-minutes threshold (three from Netflix, one from Paramount+). Netflix had the most titles on Nielsen’s Top 10 Overall Streaming chart with six entries, including two that were shared with other streaming services.
Stranger Things 5 Drives Netflix's Biggest Christmas
Netflix reported that the second volume of Stranger Things season 5 produced the streamer’s biggest Christmas Day audience to date, with the new installment drawing 34.5 million views during Christmas week (per Netflix). The season’s Thanksgiving debut previously registered 59.6 million views, marking Netflix’s largest-ever English-language premiere. Netflix cautioned that its view measurement divides total runtime across episodes, complicating direct volume-to-volume comparisons. The series finale is scheduled to premiere simultaneously in movie theaters and on Netflix on New Year’s Eve. All four prior seasons also placed in Netflix’s Top 10 during the same period, and the franchise’s Broadway prequel, The First Shadow, grossed roughly $2.5 million over the holiday. The finale triggers a 91-day window to secure a position on Netflix’s all-time Most Popular list.
Stranger Things Dominates Streaming Charts Again!
Nielsen’s Top 10 Overall Streaming chart for the week of January 19 shows Netflix’s Stranger Things returning to the No. 1 position with 1.66 billion viewing minutes. Paramount+’s Landman reclaimed the No. 2 spot with 1.615 billion minutes. The weekly chart included five titles that surpassed one billion viewing minutes — three from Netflix, one from Paramount+ and one from HBO Max. Netflix remained the platform with the most titles on the chart, totaling six entries (two of which were shared with other services). The data was reported by Adweek using Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings.
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