AceShowbiz - The final season of Stranger Things continues to dominate viewership charts, with Nielsen reporting that Stranger Things 5 attracted an impressive 30.6 million viewers within its first 28 days of release. This figure positions the series as the most-watched show across both streaming platforms and traditional television during the 2025-26 season through March 1.

Netflix, the streaming giant behind Stranger Things, has placed seven series within Nielsen's top 20 shows. Among them, the limited series His & Hers pulled in 24.2 million viewers, while the docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning recorded 19.7 million viewers, both securing spots in the top five rankings.

Network television still holds significant influence, contributing half of the top 20 shows, often with the help of streaming partners. CBS leads the network pack with six shows on the list, headlined by Marshals, which amassed 25.6 million viewers over the 28-day period. Notably, this number reflects just the series premiere on March 1, which garnered 20.6 million viewers in its first week and added nearly 6 million more in the following three weeks.

Additional CBS series making the top 20 include Tracker, CIA (also measured only for its premiere), Matlock, Sheriff Country, and Ghosts. ABC also earned multiple placements with shows like High Potential, The Rookie, and Will Trent, alongside the premiere episodes of the Scrubs revival.

Beyond Netflix and network TV, three streaming-exclusive series cracked the top 20: Landman on Paramount+ attracted 18.9 million viewers, The Pitt on HBO Max drew 12.6 million, and Fallout on Prime Video reached 12.5 million viewers over the 28-day measurement period.

It is important to note that if live sports were included, primetime NFL games broadcast across NBC, ABC/ESPN, and Prime Video—each averaging over 15 million viewers per game—would push some shows off this list. CBS also highlights that long-running programs like 60 Minutes and Survivor maintain strong viewership, averaging over 10 million viewers within 28 days, though they fall slightly below Ghosts in the rankings.

The Nielsen data affirms the continued strength of Stranger Things as a cultural phenomenon and underscores the competitive landscape between streaming services and traditional networks in delivering high-viewership content.