Stranger Things kicked off 2026 with the arrival of its final episode, bringing the story of Netflix’s Hawking to a close after years of following the gang venturing into the Upside Down. To no one’s surprise, the final season of the television classic became one of the streaming service’s biggest original arrivals of all time. The fifth season garnered over one hundred and twenty million views to date, though Stranger Things was ultimately defeated by a Disney favorite that has been garnering a passionate fanbase in recent years. While the Upside Down has ended, the story of a blue canine and her family is far from finished.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Bluey was the highest-streamed series in 2024, and in 2025, it continued the trend of being the biggest television series in the streaming world. According to a recent report from Nielsen, the Disney+ animated show was streamed for over forty-five billion minutes, scoring a win over the Netflix juggernaut for last year. In comparison, Stranger Things was streamed for a little over thirty-nine billion minutes, while Grey’s Anatomy actually beat the Netflix series with over forty billion minutes streamed. With Stranger Things returning this year via an animated spin-off, it will be interesting to see whether the Netflix franchise will have a chance at overtaking Bluey in 2026.
Bluey’s Stranger Things
Stranger Things’ live-action series might be finished, but this doesn’t mean we won’t be returning to Hawkins later this year. Netflix previously announced that Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 won’t bring back the original cast to voice their characters, but it will be considered canon to the franchise. On top of this upcoming animated series dropping later this year, the Duffer Bros have teased that more might be on the way from this universe.
Earlier this year, Matt Duffer spoke with outlet Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming mysterious project that will seemingly expand on Stranger Things, “I wish I could talk about it more, but we have a specific idea or philosophy for how the show and the Stranger Things universe, if you wanna call it that, can continue. It’s very different, I would say, than something like Game of Thrones or Star Wars, because we’re just not like that.” With Stranger
As for Bluey, there’s plenty in store for the titular character who has become a favorite amongst children and parents alike. A fourth season has already been confirmed by Disney, with a feature-length film arriving in 2027 that will be the first to bring the dog to the silver screen. Considering how popular Bluey has become in a relatively short amount of time, it would be no surprise to see the series continue for years to come, which will come as good news to those who have fallen in love with this world.
What do you think of Bluey defeating Stranger Things in the streaming world last year? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
DC Comics & GEMBA -
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
