Netflix released an updated list of its most-streamed original series in January 2021, surprising everyone with the top five picks.
Over the years, Netflix has released some of the most spectacular films and series, setting the company among the top video streaming giants. However, with so many box office hits and blockbusters, deciding which Netflix original series to see from its abundance becomes a daunting process.
Even more daunting is having to pick a favorite from the stream of shows released daily, while staying in line with the ever-changing social media most-discussed series. To keep up with the evolving trend, Netflix often ranks its most-streamed movies on a scale of five.
The streaming giant’s ranking system, however, has been subject to criticism at various fronts, mostly because of the chosen criterion. Unlike other streaming networks which rate viewership based on the number of times a show is watched for up to 75% of its duration, Netflix assigns counts to subscribers who have watched the series for at least two minutes.
On this debatable counting system, the video streaming platform projected that the Netflix series, “Bridgerton,” would be viewed by 63 million households within 28 days of its online premiere. The projection ranked the Shonda Rhimes-produced show among the most-streamed Netflix movies of 2021.
However, the company’s projection for its latest series, “Lupin,” successfully knocked the Regency-era drama out of fifth place, with an estimated viewership of 70 million households within 4 weeks of its debut. Going by these counts, here is a list of the five most-streamed Netflix series ever as of January 19, 2021.
5. “TIGER KING”
With an estimated count of 64 million views according to the Netflix metric system, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness,” is the fifth most-streamed series on the platform. The documentary series debuted in March 2020, and in eight-episodes, focused on the adventures of big cat breeders.
The series went viral within days of its release, and to date, remains a popular pick among binge-watchers.
4. “STRANGER THINGS”
Netflix debuted the sci-fi series, “Stranger Things” in 2016 and the show quickly gained popularity. Interestingly, the premiere of the series’ third season in July 2019 further increased its viewership. Within 28 days of its launching, over 64 million subscribers tuned in to “Stranger Things” season 2 for at least 2 minutes, qualifying it among most-viewed shows as per Netflix’s metrics.
3. “MONEY HEIST”
Another most-streamed Netflix original series is the Spanish crime series, “Money Heist.” The drama, titled “La Casa de Papel” in Spanish, follows a group of skilled thieves as they embark on strategically planned robbery operations.
The show’s fourth season, which premiered in April 2020, saw the robbery squad on a quest to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. The season quickly became one of the most viewed, with an estimated 65 million streams. Based on Netflix’s updated list, “Money Heist” ranks third among the most-streamed movies of all time.
2. “LUPIN”
New on this list, “Lupin,” a Netflix original series released in January 2021 joined the rank of all-time viral movies. As the first successful French series from the streaming giants, it surprisingly garnered widespread popularity, hitting the top ten ratings in countries like Argentina, Sweden, Italy, Spain, the Philippines, Brazil, and Germany among others.
The series follows the life of Assane Diop, a gentleman thief on a mission to pacify his father by avenging an injustice against him. To achieve this, he recreates some of the legendary Lupin’s famous heists, giving the police force a tough time.
Netflix projected that 70 million households would watch “Lupin” within 28 days of its online premiere. Hitting the projection would rank the series as the second most-streamed Netflix TV show.
1. “THE WITCHER”
“The Witcher” has remained a top pick since its debut in December 2019, retaining its position as the number one most streamed Netflix series. Following its release, the company dubbed the fantasy drama as its “biggest season one TV series ever.”
It appears the title is here to stay, as several series later, “The Witcher” remains the show with the most views, with over 76 million people checking it out for at least two minutes within its first 28 days on the net.
If the Netflix ranking was anything to go by, then each movie on this list is definitely worth every moment spent on the couch binge-watching.