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One of Netflix's biggest series ever came to an end on New Year's Eve after taking over the whole winter period with gradual drops, but, in a bizarre turn of events, Stranger Things was not the most-streamed show of 2025.
As found by Nielsen, the most-watched series on any streaming platform in 2025 was the animated kids show Bluey, which follows a Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey who goes on adventures with her younger sister, Bingo. With 45.2 billion minutes watched on Disney Plus over the year, this is quite the feat, as each episode is only around 8 minutes long, meaning kids likely watched the show over and over again.
The next most-streamed series is Grey's Anatomy, which pulled in 40.9 billion minutes viewed on Netflix and Hulu, followed by Stranger Things, with 40 billion minutes on Netflix. Other shows in the top 10 include NCIS, SpongeBob SquarePants, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, Law & Order: SVU, and Criminal Minds.
Stranger Things season 5 brought the hit sci-fi series to an end in December 2025 after nearly a decade on the streamer. However, the reason why Stranger Things was not able to top the list may have been its rewatchability. Although many fans would no doubt have rewatched seasons 1-4 before the final season, the tense and dramatic sci-fi show is not the kind of TV you can mindlessly watch whilst scrolling on your phone.
Stranger Things wasn't a total flop, though, as in addition to taking third place on Nielsen's list, season 5 is Netflix's fourth most-watched English-language season ever, with over 123 million views in total over its first 91 days on the streamer, as per Tudum. Stranger Things season 4 sits just ahead with just over 140 million views, but season 5 still has time to take over.
The complete Stranger Things series is available to watch on Netflix now. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows.
