The series "Stranger Things" has officially become the most popular project in Netflix history, accumulating over 1.2 billion views even before the release of the final episodes. This is reported by Variety, citing data from the streaming platform.

The show has surpassed other hit Netflix projects — "Wednesday" and "Squid Game" in total viewership. Statistics are calculated by dividing the total viewing time of any part of the series by the total runtime of all available episodes.

Record-Breaking Fifth Season Performance

The first part of the final fifth season gathered 102.6 million views in 25 days and became the most popular series of the week in 90 out of 93 countries where Netflix is available. This is the only series in the platform's history where all five seasons simultaneously made it to the top 10.

The most popular scenes in the series' entire history became:

  • The scene from the seventh episode of the fourth season, when Nancy (Natalia Dyer) falls into a trance under Vecna's influence (Jamie Campbell Bower)
  • The final scene of the third season, where Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) sing the NeverEnding Story song together

Cultural Impact and Musical Phenomenon

The influence of "Stranger Things" has long extended beyond streaming. The use of the song "Running Up That Hill" in the fourth season brought Kate Bush her first top-10 hit in the US 38 years after its release. Metallica's "Master of Puppets" reached the British charts for the first time.

The fifth season repeated this effect. According to Spotify data, among Generation Z, listening to Diana Ross's "Upside Down" increased by 1,250%, and Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" by 880%. Users created over 205,000 playlists dedicated to the series.

Economic Impact on the USA

Over nine years, the series created over 8,000 jobs in the US and added $1.4 billion to the national GDP. Georgia, where most scenes were filmed, felt the biggest effect — contributing $650 million. California took second place with $500 million.

The production involved over 2,000 suppliers of various products in Georgia alone. Brands also received significant benefits: Kellogg's recorded increased Eggo sales after the second season's release, and interest in the board game Dungeons and Dragons grew by 673% since the series premiere.

Final Episodes Release Dates

On December 26, the next three episodes of the final season of "Stranger Things" will be released on Netflix. The final eighth episode will be available to Ukrainian viewers on January 1, 2025.

The series has received over 70 awards and 230 nominations, and the theatrical production "Stranger Things The First Shadow" won Tony and Olivier awards.