Stranger Things Season 5 Sets New Netflix Record Before Finale Release

Despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it seems that fans of Stranger Things couldn’t resist diving into the latest episodes. According to Netflix, the show has helped the streaming platform break records yet again.

Variety reported that Netflix achieved its highest viewership on Christmas Day in 2025, with Stranger Things emerging as the most-watched title of the day. Three new episodes, part of volume 2, were released on Boxing Day in the UK due to the time zone difference.

These new episodes propelled Stranger Things season 5 to a total of 34.5 million views between December 22nd and 28th. This marked the season’s second-best weekly total after its debut in November, when it garnered an impressive 59.6 million views. This debut was Netflix’s best-ever opening week for an English-language title.

Calculating the 34.5 million views involved dividing the total viewing hours by the runtime of all seven available episodes, making it tricky to determine exact views for episodes 5-7 on their own.

As we gear up for the series finale on New Year’s Eve in the US (available on New Year’s Day in the UK and certain cinemas in the US), fans are understandably anxious about the fate of their beloved characters. However, the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, reassured viewers that Stranger Things is “not Game of Thrones.”

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Duffer explained, “I love Game of Thrones, but it’s just a very different type of show than that. There’s not going to be a Red Wedding situation. I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we’re not trying to shock or upset anyone.”

The Duffer Brothers aim to provide a satisfying conclusion that feels inevitable rather than painful. So get ready to dive into the finale on New Year’s Day! Subscribe to Netflix starting at £5.99 a month. You can also catch Netflix on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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