The final season of the sci-fi horror series debuted this weekend with a record number, becoming Netflix’s biggest debut for an English-language television show.
Netflix said “Stranger Things 4 – Volume 1” had 286.7 million viewing hours. This surpassed the second season of “Bridgerton,” which saw 193 million hours of views in March.
Netflix (NFLX) added that the debut was the first season to reach No. 1 in 83 countries, setting another record. “Stranger Things 4” also reached the top 10 of the 93 countries the company follows. This is good news for Netflix, which is having a terrible year. The company reported in April that it had lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade. The news shocked Wall Street and plunged the shares. It also made investors doubt the future of Netflix and the entire real-time streaming marketplace.
The “Stranger Things” series, which follows a group of children and adults battling the forces of a parallel universe, is by far Netflix’s biggest franchise. Fans have been asking for more after the show has been absent for about three years.
Netflix announced in February that the current season of the series will premiere in two parts this summer. The first part premiered on May 27 and the second comes on July 1. The company also said that the show will end with season 5.
Since its debut out of nowhere in 2016, “Stranger Things” has helped bring Netflix to where it is today. It’s a cultural sensation that has spread to video games, theme park attractions, fast food items and merchandising.
The show’s creators and producers, brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, said “Stranger Things 4” is “the most challenging season to date, but also the most rewarding.”