LONDON: The fourth season of “Stranger Things” has gone on to break viewership records since it premiered on Netflix on May 27, a Forbes Middle East report has revealed.
The series, which is a blend of 80s nostalgia, coming-of-age comedy, and supernatural mystery, had the biggest premiere weekend ever for an English-language show on Netflix.
The episodes, the first of two volumes, became the most-watched season of English-language TV in a single week, with 335 million hours viewed, the report said.
The three-time Emmy nominee for Best Drama also surpassed the previous record-holder, the second season of period drama "Bridgerton," with 286.8 million hours of global viewing time.
According to Netflix's internal measurement between May 23 and May 29, 2022, Stranger Things ranked first in 83 countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The sci-fi series also topped Netflix's top 10 lists in 91 countries, a first for an English TV series, and became the first TV series to jump into the top three on the most popular list with 621.8 million hours of viewing time in less than two weeks after its May premiere.
It then received an additional 159.2 million hours of viewing in its third week, becoming the streaming service's most watched English-language series with a staggering 781 million hours viewed — the first English-language series during this period.
Four weeks after its March premiere, the Netflix original series remained at the top of the English TV List with 102.3 million hours viewed, and it also ranked in the top ten in 93 countries, with 883 million hours viewed on the Most Popular list.
The final two episodes of "Stranger Things 4" premiered last Friday, and garnered 301.3 million hours of viewing time. During the week of June 27 - July 3, 2022, it ranked in the top ten in 93 countries, including the MENA region.
Seasons one, two, and three also maintained their positions on the English TV List, with 34.5 million, 30.26 million, and 30.28 million hours viewed, respectively. In celebration of the show's return, 'Stranger Things' promos appeared on 15 landmarks in over 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia's AlUla National Monument.
