Streaming’s Most Watched Shows Aren’t What You Think (But You’ll Love Them)

The most popular shows streaming right now are not the new prestige dramas your co-workers are all raving about, according to a new report by Nielsen. The company just released an extensive report on streaming metrics in the first half of 2025, and they found that the winners in the streaming wars are shows that people re-watch again and again, not sensational debuts or suspenseful weekly releases. The top show by a considerable margin is Bluey on Disney+, but it’s not just children — at number two is Grey’s Anatomy on both Hulu and Netflix, followed by NCIS on Hulu, Netflix, and Paramount+. Along with all the other hurdles that new shows have to clear, they also have to overcome comfort-watching, which is no small feat.

There are a few shows on Nielsen’s top 20 streaming programs list that put out new seasons this year, but none of them are brand new shows. Behind NCIS come three cartoons — Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, then Spongebob Squarepants — followed by network heavy-hitters Big Bang Theory and The Rookie. Only then do we get a streaming original at number nine: Squid Game, followed by the long-running procedural Law & Order: SVU. Fittingly, Nielsen even included a column for the number of episodes each show has, and 16 out of the top 20 are in the triple digits.

The insight here is clear and not necessarily new — people primarily use streaming to binge-watch and rewatch shows they have already seen before. Many users report falling asleep with a “comfort show” on, or keeping it going while they work, cook, or do chores. This list may not represent the time they spend actively engaged with their TVs, but they’re still the top titles by a longshot that streaming executives and advertisers look at.

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Streaming Has Broken TV Culture (And This Is The Fix)

This report puts into perspective the frequent op-eds about the “streaming bubble” bursting. The industry simply can’t manufacture instant classics that will hold an audience for years like these older and more prolific shows — with the possible exception of a hit for children like Bluey. Even the streaming originals that have hit it big have not been able to rack up hundreds of episodes fast enough to become the “comfort shows” that many people are after, leaving the long-running series from broadcast and cable to fill those niches.

In the meantime, new and expensive shows that felt like monumental events to fans are left looking unsuccessful by comparison, at least from this perspective. Bluey was viewed for over 25 billion minutes in the last six months, and at number 20 on the list, South Park was viewed for 10.4 billion minutes. Meanwhile, the inescapable hit drama Severance was only viewed for 9.2 billion minutes, even with fans obsessively re-watching and hunting for details. Andor, the jewel of the Star Wars streaming era, only reached 5.7 billion minutes, and even the guilty pleasure reality show Love Island USA trailed behind at 5.4 billion minutes.

Insights like these are already shaping the media landscape, and will continue to do so in the years to come. Streamers may rethink their strategies around original content, but they’re unlikely to stop making new shows with talented creators. All fans can do is continue tuning in to the shows they love, and consider picking up Bluey on DVD for the children in their lives.