Most watched Netflix series of 2026 so far

Netflix has reported its highest-ever engagement for a six-month period, with audiences watching more than 97 billion hours of content worldwide. The streaming giant’s latest What We Watched report highlights the growing popularity of new series, original films, international programming and live events while reaffirming its focus on delivering diverse content for every audience.

Netflix records its biggest viewing milestone yet

Netflix said engagement is measured not only by the number of hours watched but also by the quality of viewers’ experiences. The company aims to win the "moment of truth" when users choose to press play on Netflix and stay engaged with the content.

The platform emphasized that offering a wide variety of programming across different genres, languages and moods remains central to its strategy.

Netflix also announced that beginning in the first quarter of 2027, its What We Watched report will shift from being published every six months to a yearly snapshot.

New original series dominate global viewing

Fresh releases proved to be a major driver of engagement, with five of the top 10 most-watched shows debuting during the first half of the year.

Leading the charts was His & Hers, which became the most-watched series of the period with 104 million views.

Other standout newcomers included:

• I Will Find You – 64 million views

• Teach You a Lesson (South Korea) – 48 million views

• Run Away – 50 million views

• Nemesis Season 1 – 33 million views

Netflix also confirmed that Nemesis has already been renewed for a second season.

Returning seasons revive older favorites

The return of Bridgerton Season 4 generated 100 million views and significantly boosted interest across the franchise.

Netflix said viewing for every previous Bridgerton season—including Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story—nearly tripled compared with the second half of 2025.

Combined, the entire Bridgerton franchise attracted 180 million views during the reporting period.

Several other returning series also experienced renewed popularity:

• ONE PIECE – 69 million views across seasons

• The Night Agent – 63 million views

• The Lincoln Lawyer – 59 million views

• Virgin River – 54 million views

Original films continue attracting massive audiences

Netflix's action movie lineup delivered some of the platform's biggest successes.

War Machine emerged as the biggest film of the period with 147 million views, followed by:

• The Rip – 136 million views

• Swapped – 131 million views

• Apex – 129 million views

• Thrash – 100 million views

Animated films also continued their rise in popularity. Swapped is on track to become Netflix's second most-watched original animated film ever, behind KPop Demon Hunters, which still generated 130 million views despite premiering more than a year ago.

Book-to-screen adaptations also found strong audiences, with:

• People We Meet on Vacation – 78 million views

• Remarkably Bright Creatures – 51 million views

Romantic comedies remained popular as well:

• Office Romance – 58 million views

• Voicemails for Isabelle – 53 million views

Non-English content drives more than one-third of all viewing

Netflix reported that more than one-third of all viewing now comes from non-English titles.

South Korea

South Korea remained one of Netflix's strongest international markets, led by:

• Teach You a Lesson – 48 million views

• Can This Love Be Translated? – 29 million

• The Art of Sarah – 26 million

• Bloodhounds Season 2 – 24 million

• My Royal Nemesis – 16 million

Japan

Japanese originals also performed well:

• Straight to Hell Season 1 – 10 million views

• Sins of Kujo Season 1 – 9 million views

Spain

Spain delivered several major hits, including:

• Firebreak – 34 million views

• Berlín and the Lady with an Ermine – 28 million

• The Marked Woman – 26 million

• Oasis Season 1 – 10 million

India achieves its strongest half-year ever

Netflix said India recorded its highest viewing figures ever for a six-month period.

Top-performing Indian titles included:

• Dhurandhar – 37 million views, becoming the most-watched non-English film

• Accused – 19 million

• Made in Korea – 18 million

• Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web Season 1 – 16 million

South Africa and other regions expand Netflix's global reach

South Africa also delivered major international successes through:

• 180 – 37 million views

• The Polygamist Season 1 – 17 million

Netflix highlighted additional international originals that resonated worldwide:

• Colors of Evil: Black (Poland) – 23 million

• Radioactive Emergency Season 1 (Brazil) – 22 million

• Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole Season 1 (Norway) – 22 million

• A Father's Miracle (Mexico) – 21 million

• My Dearest Assassin (Thailand) – 18 million

• The Big Fake (Italy) – 17 million

• The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (Denmark) – 11 million

Live events, anime and documentaries attract huge audiences

Netflix continued expanding beyond traditional TV series and films.

Among live programming:

• The Roast of Kevin Hart attracted 21 million views

• BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG also reached 21 million views

• Skyscraper Live, featuring climber Alex Honnold, recorded 13 million views

Anime continued gaining momentum, with Netflix revealing that more than half of its members have now watched at least one anime title.

Top-performing anime releases included:

• BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai Season 1 – 8 million

• STEEL BALL RUN: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure – 8 million

• Cosmic Princess Kaguya! – 8 million

Documentaries also drew significant audiences, led by:

• The Crash – 65 million views

• The Dinosaurs Season 1 – 32 million

• Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model Season 1 – 22 million

Kids and family programming remains a major success

Family entertainment continued to perform strongly across Netflix.

Ms. Rachel became the platform's most-watched children's title with 69 million views across two seasons.

Other family favorites included:

• Mark Rober's CrunchLabs – 36 million views across four seasons

• Salish & Jordan Matter – 29 million across two seasons

• Danny Go! Season 1 – 26 million views

Netflix focuses on engagement over viewing hours alone

Netflix said its goal is not simply maximizing watch time but creating meaningful viewing experiences that encourage subscribers to discover, enjoy and return to content across a wide variety of genres and languages.

The latest report demonstrates the platform's continued investment in global storytelling, with original programming from every corner of the world helping drive its record-breaking engagement.