Netflix reigns supreme as Squid Game season 2 and surprise hit Adolescence top the list of most-watched shows of the past year

The viewing statistics for shows released over the past year are out, and Netflix is dominating the list, taking many places in the top 10.

According to data collection company Nielsen’s multiplatform ratings, Netflix’s Squid Game season 2 was the most-watched show (excluding sports) between 2024 and 2025 by viewers in the US (H/T Variety). The second season of the hit South Korean dystopian survival drama pulled in an average of 27.1 million viewers over a 35-day period. The site chooses to measure views over the first 35 days the show is available for better results.

In second place is yet another Netflix show, the British surprise hit limited series Adolescence. The show, made up of four one-shot episodes, took the world by storm earlier this year, and according to Nielsen, saw 19 million viewers over the same time period. This isn't a huge surprise as the show is currently set to become the second most-watched English language show on Netflix with 140.2 million views in total.

However, the most interesting part of Nielsen’s report is that it compares titles on streaming services and broadcast television. Linear series haven’t done too bas either, with CBS’ Tracker sitting in third place with 17.4 million. But Prime Video’s Reacher is not too far behind with 17.3 million views over 35 days.

Overall, Netflix dominates the top 10. After Squid Game and Adolescence in the first two places, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the next Netflix title on the list, which sits in eighth place, followed by Zero Day in ninth, and Nobody Wants This in 10th. In fact, the next five spaces on the list are taken up by Netflix titles too: The Night Agent, American Primeval, Running Point, The Residence, and A Man on the Inside.

It looks like the rest of 2025 will be just as successful for the site, too, with new seasons of major shows hitting the streamer, such as Squid Game season 3 and Wednesday season 2, as well as the final installment in the Duffer Brothers hit series, Stranger Things season 5.

For more, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix, or keep up with upcoming shows heading your way in 2025 and beyond.