Summary
- The biggest Netflix shows have millions of hours viewed, with some breaking the billion-hour mark, proving that viewers are invested in original content.
- Netflix's success depends on the performance of its original releases, as it faces competition from other streaming services. It produces its own content and acquires series from around the world, ensuring a continuous stream of new shows.
- Popular Netflix shows come from a variety of genres and countries, including Bridgerton, Squid Game, Stranger Things, and more.
Netflix has released plenty of record-breaking content since it launched, and the biggest Netflix shows have hundreds of millions of hours viewed, with a few shows breaking the billion-hour mark. Netflix releases numerous original series every year, from new content such as Wednesday to continuations of beloved shows such as more seasons of Stranger Things and The Witcher. This is not only domestic shows either, as some of the most popular Netflix shows in history are internationally made, proving that subtitles or dubbed soundtracks won't deter people from watching a good story.
This is also important for a service like Netflix. The biggest Netflix shows need to do well because, with so many streaming services in competition, original releases are more important than ever. Netflix produces its own original movies and shows and also picks up a lot of series from around the world, meaning there is always something new to watch. The massive amount of content also doesn't hurt, as Netflix has broken many of its own viewing records with original shows, and the biggest Netflix shows are just getting more and more popular as the years roll on.
25 The Glory Season 1 (2022) - 436,900,000 Hours Viewed
Released in 2022, The Glory was one of the biggest Netflix shows that no one really talks about. The South Korean series was such a big success that Netflix announced it planned to spend $2.5 billion more on Korean content (via NY Times). The show is about bullying and revenge, a 16-episode drama that ended up as the fifth most-watched Netflix International series at the time. It also reached the top 10 in 91 countries for non-English TV shows. The show features a woman named Moon Dong-eun, whose life mission is to get revenge on the people who bullied her in high school.
24 You Season 2 (2019) - 457,370,000 Hours Viewed
You was an interesting Netflix original series because viewers followed the actual villain of the story - a serial killer named Joe. Unlike Dexter, where the killer murdered villains, in You, Joe kills and is no hero by any definition of the word. What kept viewers hanging on was to see how Joe finally went down. Season 2 enjoyed a huge jump over the first with over 457 million hours viewed, and it just got better from there. The second season was the first to be a Netflix original when it moved over from Lifetime, and it never looked back.
23 You Season 3 (2021) - 467,830,000 Hours Viewed
Season 3 of You was even bigger than the second season. The story was an improvement over season 2, which was popular itself. However, what made You one of the biggest Netflix shows was Penn Badgley making Joe someone that people wanted to follow, even as he was a remorseless killer who did terrible things - and seemed to always get away with it. What made season 3 so interesting for fans to watch was that Joe and Love were married and had a child, and it was time to see how his dark secrets would ruin everything in his life once again.
22 Maid (2021) - 469,09,000 Hours Viewed
Unlike most of the biggest Netflix shows, Maid was not setting up a multi-season series but was instead a miniseries perfect for binging. The fact that this was not going to be a long-running series might have really helped it pick up a large viewership instantly when it hit the streaming service. The miniseries was based on Stephanie Land's memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, a woman who escapes an abusive relationship with her daughter and takes a job cleaning houses. With an abusive ex-husband and struggles with the red tape of government assistance, this is a show that really hit home with a lot of people.
21 13 Reasons Why Season 1 (2017) - 475,570,000 Hours Viewed
13 Reasons Why was one of the most popular Netflix shows in history, even if it has not aged as well in the years since its release. The show is problematic, but at the time, it was like nothing anyone had seen on TV. A teenage girl dies by suicide but leaves recordings with the 13 reasons she ended her own life, all the reasons tied to people she knew in her life. The series then plays out with the people she called out having to take a long look at themselves and their perceived sins and bringing their transgressions to the forefront. It was a hard show to watch, but still brought in over 475 million hours viewed and it ended up renewed for more.
20 The Witcher Season 2 (2021) - 484,340,000 Hours Viewed
The Witcher was one of the biggest Netflix shows for people who love fantasy. While not as widely watched as the first season, The Witcher season 2 still brought in over 484 million hours watched and kept the franchise healthy, as it received another season and a spinoff series. However, in its first weekend, the second season was a monster success, with over 142 million hours viewed in its first few days, before it eventually dropped off and never reached the hours of the first season. The problem was that the second season moved away from the books it was based on, and that is likely what hurt its viewership from hitting the 541 million viewers the first received.
19 Ozark Season 4 (2022) - 491,090,000 Hours Viewed
While it remains one of the most popular Netflix shows, only Ozark season 4 has massive viewership numbers, pulling in over 491 million hours viewed. This was the final season of the series, where fans were tuning in to find out what happened to Marty and Wendy. Did they get away with it, and what did their lives look like in the end? It seems shocking that the fourth season had so many viewers, while the first three seasons didn't reach this level. However, that means fans just jumped into the middle of the story, or the final season was good enough to rewatch, with the latter more likely.
18 13 Reasons Why Season 2 (2018) - 496,120,000 Hours Viewed
Season 2 of 13 Reasons Why actually eclipsed the success of the first season, with over 20 million more hours viewed. This was interesting since it was no longer telling the story of Hannah's death and moved into different areas of bullying in high school. However, the season was also very controversial due to the school shooting storyline and the real-world school shootings that took place around the time of its release. Despite the success, many felt 13 Reasons Why dipped in quality after season 1 and later seasons didn't attract as many views.
17 Ginny & Georgia Season 2 (2023) - 504,780,000 Hours Viewed
Ginny & Georgia is another series that didn't become one of the biggest Netflix shows until season 2. The show is a dramedy about a mother (Georgia) who moves to an affluent town with her teenage daughter (Ginny) and her nine-year-old son, only to find out that they can't run from their problems no matter where they go. The series was a quick success, with 52 million viewers watching the first season in the first month, and season 2 blew those numbers out of the water. The critical reception was only average, but it remained a hit among fans, one of the most popular Netflix shows on the service.
16 Inventing Anna (2022) - 511,920,000 Hours Viewed
Released in 2022, Inventing Anna was a miniseries that ended up as one of the biggest Netflix shows, with over 511 million hours viewed after its release. The series is a drama about a con artist named Anna Sorokin who movies from Russia to New York City, where she cons upper-crust of her new community. With the goal of opening an art-themed club, she scams hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy NYC people by pretending to be a German heiress. The lead performance by Julia Garner was highly praised with her being nominated for many major awards.
