Nielsen Reports ‘Stranger Things’ Episodes Lead Weekly TV Streaming in Household Views

The countdown to the final season five premiere of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” on Nov. 26 had fans eagerly tuning in, leading to a surge in viewer interest for the beloved sci-fi series. The show’s previous seasons, totaling 34 episodes, collectively garnered over 1.35 billion minutes viewed, propelling “Stranger Things” to the top spot in household TV streaming for the week ending Nov. 16, according to recent data from Nielsen.

In addition to “Stranger Things,” another standout performer was Netflix’s 2025 film adaptation of “Frankenstein,” which amassed an impressive 1.11 billion viewing minutes, securing the second spot overall and claiming the top spot on the movie chart.

Netflix also introduced a new psychological thriller miniseries called “The Beast In Me,” featuring Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys. The show made a strong debut, captivating audiences with 952 million minutes viewed across eight episodes, placing it at No. 3 overall and No. 2 among original series.

Peacock’s mystery thriller “All Her Fault,” starring Dakota Fanning, Jake Lacy, Michael Peña, and Sophia Lillis, experienced a 92% increase in viewing minutes, tallying 867 million minutes across eight episodes. This surge in viewership helped the series secure the No. 4 spot overall and No. 3 among original shows. “All Her Fault” also attracted a younger audience, with the percentage of adults aged 18-34 rising from 13% to 18% in that week.

Hulu’s reality franchise “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” made a comeback with its third season, drawing 651 million minutes across 29 episodes. Notably, 54% of viewers were adults aged 18-34, making it the series with the highest concentration of young adult viewers among the top 10 titles. Additionally, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” tied with “Grey’s Anatomy” for the highest percentage of adult women aged 18+ viewers, at 74%.

The Paramount+ original series “Landman” kicked off its second season with a bang, accumulating 573 million viewing minutes across all available episodes. The show, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter, had been steadily growing in popularity since its debut season at the end of 2024 and early 2025, cementing its position as one of Nielsen’s top original series for the first half of 2025.

Despite the rise of new content, perennial favorites like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “NCIS” continued to dominate TV streaming, with 853 million minutes and 762 million minutes viewed across their episodes, respectively.

Classic Western series “Gunsmoke” achieved its highest weekly streaming total ever, with 757 million minutes viewed across 404 episodes. The show’s popularity was bolstered by viewership from FAST channels like Pluto TV, and notably, “Gunsmoke” boasted the highest concentration of Black viewers among acquired titles that week, at 34%.

The top 10 movie chart for the week featured several streaming premieres, including “Playdate” on Prime Video, “Freakier Friday” on Disney+, and “Being Eddie” on Netflix. Each film attracted a substantial viewership, with “Playdate” drawing 559 million minutes, “Freakier Friday” pulling in 374 million minutes, and “Being Eddie” garnering 367 million minutes.

As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, these top performers offer a glimpse into the diverse and captivating content that captures viewers’ attention. Whether it’s revisiting beloved series or discovering new shows and movies, there’s no shortage of entertainment options to enjoy.