Netflix Dominates Every Other Streaming Service With Return of Fan-Favorite Series

While it already had a legion of fans thanks to its books and video games, The Witcher has found a whole new audience thanks to its live-action Netflix series. The sophomore season of The Witcher made its debut on Netflix last month — and according to the most recent Nielsen ratings, it was a bonafide hit. The Witcher is ranked highest among the original streaming programming for the week of December 13th through December 19th, with a total for 2,191 million minutes viewed across its sixteen episodes. This is significantly above even the closest-ranked show in the list, with Disney+’s Hawkeye sitting at #2 with around 580 million minutes viewed.

This lines up with recently-released data from Netflix, which claimed that Season 2 of The Witcher has been viewed a total of 462.5 million hours in the first 28 days of its release. This makes it the seventh-biggest English language debut in the streamer’s history. 

In Season 2 of The Witcher, convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.

The Witcher stars Henry Cavill (Geralt of Rivia), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), Freya Allan (Ciri), Jodhi May (Calanthe), Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Eist), Adam Levy (Mousesack), MyAnna Buring (Tissaia), Mimi Ndiweni (Fringilla), Therica Wilson-Read (Sabrina), Emma Appleton (Renfri), Eamon Farren (Cahir), Joey Batey (Jaskier), Lars Mikkelsen (Stregobor), Royce Pierreson (Istredd), Maciej Musiał (Sir Lazlo), Wilson Radjou-Pujalte (Dara), and Anna Shaffer as Triss.

“What I will say about the third season,” showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich said of the third season during a panel appearance last year. “The writers are back in Los Angeles diligently working while I am here getting to do this, so I’m grateful for them. […] It’s a really fun season, and it follows a particular book very closely, has a lot of action, some death… some death.”

Have you been enjoying the second season of The Witcher on Netflix? Let us know in the comments!

The first two seasons of The Witcher are now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.