While acquired content still dominates across all streaming platforms, Netflix in particular is having a strong year when it comes to original programming. Nielsen (via Deadline) has released the data in terms of minutes viewed for the first half of 2025, indicating that Netflix has more than half of the top 20 streaming originals. Other streamers on the list, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock, account for only nine of the top 20 streaming television shows of 2025 thus far in total (one, Gabby’s Dollhouse, is shared between Prime Video and Netflix).
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The ratings are led by Squid Game, which set a new record for most views in the first 10 days of release with the show’s third and final season. Netflix revealed the series was watched 106.3 million times in that date range. Likely adding to the success of Squid Game is the fact that the second season launched in late December 2024, allowing the maximum amount of time for people to have watched it this year. boosting the show’s figures for the last six months.
Other Netflix content in the top 20 includes The Night Agent, Ginny & Georgia, and You, all of which are already established successes with new seasons in 2025, helping them climb into the top 10 of the ratings for original programming. The Resistance, Love Is Blind, Black Mirror, Zero Day, Virgin River, and Sweet Magnolias were also included in the chart. Curiously, Stranger Things has also been a major hit in 2025 despite releasing no new episodes, likely thanks to fans rewatching the show in anticipation of the series’ conclusion at the end of the year.
Netflix Originals Dominate Early 2025
In terms of the rest of the streaming originals, Prime Video is represented by Reacher, which returned in February with the long-awaited fight between Reacher and Paul ‘Paulie’ Van Hoven. Apple TV+ also has a show in the top five with Severance. There’s also Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Paramount+’s 1923 and Landman, Andor on Disney+, Max’s The Pitt, and reality television show Love Island USA on Peacock.
Netflix has continued to grow and lead the industry as the dominant force in streaming programming. That looks likely to continue in the coming months, with some of the biggest launches of the year set to arrive in the second half of 2025. The first batch of Wednesday Season 2 episodes will arrive on August 6th, and the conclusion of Stranger Things is sure to attract record-breaking numbers of viewers as fans eagerly anticipate the end to the story. Meanwhile, the second season of The Sandman has recently been released and immediately entered the top 10 charts on Netflix.
It isn’t entirely surprising that Netflix is leading the way when it comes to original programming. The company spent large sums to build its library of content and has had several high-profile hits over the last few years.
What do you think of the news that Netflix has so many original series when compared to the other streamers? Let us know in the comments!
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