Stranger Things 3 sets Netflix viewing record
July 9, 2019
By Nik Roseveare
The third season of Netflix sci-fi drama Stranger Things has proved hugely popular since launching on July 4th, breaking the streaming service’s viewer records.
More than 40 million households watched the show in its first four days, Netflix revealed in a tweet, with over 18 million of that figure binging all eight episodes.
As a comparison, Netfix superhero drama Umbrella Academy drew 45 million viewers within its first month – the most for a series in the first quarter of 2019. The third season of Stranger Things has nearly achieved that in a tenth of the time.
The figures are for the number of households that have watched the series, which is different to the total number of people who will have actually seen it. Netflix says it counts a view when someone has watched at least 70 per cent of an episode or film.
Netflix was previously known to be highly secretive about its viewing figures, but has swayed away from that stance in the last few months – usually when it has something to boast about. The first such occasion came at the start of the year following the success of its horror movie Bird Box.
The third season of Stranger Things has also been a hit with critics and currently holds a 90 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.