Bluey Overtakes Reacher, Friends in 2025 Streaming Race

Audience preferences speak volumes. Nielsen's debut Top 20 streaming charts for the first half of the year reveal a clear preference for acquired content over original programming.

The beloved children's series Bluey dominated the overall rankings with an astonishing 25.1 billion minutes viewed between January and June. Even the lowest-ranking show—Comedy Central's controversial South Park—garnered impressive numbers in 20th place with 10.5 billion minutes watched.

Only three originals cracked the overall list: Netflix’s breakout hits Squid Game and The Night Agent, along with Prime’s Reacher. Notably, Squid Game—still riding its massive 2021 debut wave ahead of its final season—was the sole original to break the top 10, amassing over 15 billion viewing minutes.

Remarkably, these figures only account for the Season 2 aftermath in January, excluding both the initial drop’s surge and June’s Season 3 premiere—both certain to inflate totals substantially.

The originals-specific ranking held its own surprises, with Stranger Things making a striking appearance at No. 17 despite 5 billion minutes watched. While seemingly modest, this reflects pure rewatch value—the show hasn’t released new episodes in three years, proving fans are priming for its impending finale season.

Streaming trends may shift, but one truth remains: viewers know what they love—and they’re sticking to it.