Prior to 2023, Netflix was highly selective when publicizing its viewership data. Then, in December of that year the streamer began to reveal data from 99 percent of its programming — which, at that point, comprised more than 18,000 titles.
Now, however, it appears that transparency is coming to an end. As Deadline reports, Netflix recently announced it would not longer release its biannual “What We Watched” reports. As a result, the report just issued for the first six months of 2026 will likely be the last ever.
With that in mind, Deadline utilized the existing data from the past four years to compile a list of the 20 most-watched shows on Netflix during the past few years.
20. ‘Untamed’ Season 1: 101.1M Views
Eric Bana headlined this gripping crime thriller set within the majestic setting of Yellowstone National Park.
The show will be remembered as featuring one of the final — and arguably one of the finest — performances from the late Sam Neill.
19. ‘Squid Game’ Season 1: 101.6M views
The series that introduced American viewers to K-drama, Korean thriller “Squid Game” became a surprise hit for Netflix.
Featuring a group of debt-ridden folks desperate enough to compete in lethal competitions based on children’s games, the show became a worldwide phenomenon that has made Korean-made television a popular genre unto itself — both on Netflix and other streaming services.
18. ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2: 101.8M Views
The massive popularity of the first season of “Stranger Things” led to even higher ratings for Season 2.
Spoiler alert: this isn’t the only time that the Duffer brothers’ sci-fi hit appears on this list.
17. ‘La Palma’: 102.3M Views
Arguably the biggest surprise in this top-20 list is this Nordic drama about a Norwegian family vacationing in the Canary Islands when a massive volcano threatens to erupt.
The four-episode series rocketed to the top of the streamers’ most-watched lists when it was released in late 2024.
16. ‘Baby Reindeer’: 103.5M Views
Richard Gadd catapulted to stardom as creator and star of this twisted tale — based on actual events — about the warped relationship that develops between a Scottish standup comic and the woman who develops an unhinged obsession with him.
The series won scads of awards, and dredged up controversy when the woman whom Gadd based his stalkerish character on came forward and sued Netflix for $170M, alleging defamation. As of July 2026, that suit is still winding its way though the courts.
15. ‘His & Hers’: 104M Views
Viewers couldn’t get enough of this gripping series about two estranged spouses — one a detective (Jon Bernthal), the other a journalist (Tessa Thompson) — use their respective skills to solve a murder.
The twist: each believes the other is a prime suspect in the homicide.
14. ‘Young Sheldon’: 104.2M Views
A massive hit when it aired on CBS, “Young Sheldon” likewise struck gold for Netflix as a streaming series — and the only show on this list to have previously aired on network television.
A prequel spinoff of “The Big Bang Theory,” the series brought viewers into the childhood of quirky genius Sheldon Cooper (played in the original by Jim Parsons, and here by Iain Armitage).
13. ‘The Gentlemen’: 105.8M
This crime caper from Guy Ritchie blew up when it first debuted back in 2024, telling the story of an aristocrat with a military background, played by Theo James. When he inherits his family’s ancestral state, he discovers it’s being used as the front for an illegal marijuana empire — thrusting him into London’s criminal underworld, to which he’s surprisingly well suited.
Netflix’s hopes are obviously high for a repeat in that 100M-plus viewership number as the second season is poised to premiere in September — one of many anticipated returning series arriving in fall 2026.
12. ‘Wednesday’ Season 1: 124.5M Views
Produced by Tim Burton, this horror-comedy introduced Jenna Ortega as Addams Family scion Wednesday Addams, surrounding her with an all-star supporting cast and huge production values.
The result was one of Netflix’s biggest premieres in recent history.
11. ‘One Piece’ Season 1: 125.6M Views
Fans had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this live-action adaptation of the swashbuckling manga adventure featuring the Straw Hat Pirates.
When the series finally arrived in 2023, viewership was through the roof. The second season — which arrived in March 2026 — didn’t do as well.
10. ‘Peppa Pig’ Season 6: 127.4M Views
A testament to the popularity of Netflix when it comes to viewers with small children, the sixth season of beloved British series scored big viewership with the little ones.
9. ‘Stranger Things’ Season 1: 127.5M Views
The first season of “Stranger Things” remains a milestone for Netflix, kicking off one of its most successful franchises.
In terms of viewership numbers, though, bigger things were yet to come.
8. ‘Wednesday’ Season 2: 133.1M Views
“Wednesday” Season 2 was watched by more viewers that the first season, an enviable phenomenon that doesn’t happen often.
Understandably, hopes are high for the series’ return with a third season at some point in fall 2026.
7. ‘Ms. Rachel’ Season 1: 137.5M Views
Preschoolers flocked to “Ms. Rachel,” which remains one of the streamer’s consistently most-watched shows.
Taking her show from YouTube to Netflix reportedly made the show’s star very, very wealthy.
6. ‘Fool Me Once’: 138.3M Views
Netflix has been lining up big viewership numbers with its various adaptations of Harlan Coben crime novels.
This one, in which a nanny-cam inadvertently uncovers a deadly conspiracy, is the only one to make it onto this top-20 list.
5. ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5: 149.1M Views
The fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” may have received mixed reviews from fans, but it delivered blockbuster viewership numbers.
Despite the series’ end, Netflix is continuing to milk the franchise with animated spinoff “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85” and other upcoming projects.
4. ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3: 154.2M Views
The Shonda Rhimes-produced Regency era drama was an out-of-the-box hit for Netflix, nabbing a huge audience for its super-steamy boudoire scenes.
It was the third season, however, featuring Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope Bridergton (a.k.a. Lady Whistledown) that really popped.
3. ‘Squid Game’ Season 3: 155.8M Views
The third season of “Squid Game was also its last.
More than 155 million fans watched to see how it all turned out.
2. ‘Adolescence’: 171.6M Views
Arguably the most critically acclaimed Netflx series of 2025, this grim and gripping drama about a 13-year-old accused of murdering a classmate won eight Emmys from 13 nominations.
All that critical acclaim led the series — in which each scene was a continuous, unedited shot — to rack up massive viewership.
1. ‘Squid Game’ Season 2: 225.4M Views
The second time was the charm for “Squid Game.”
Season 2 of the Korean thriller holds the crown as Netflix’s most-watched TV series since 2023, with a record-setting 225.4 million viewers.
