Netflix's share of the most popular series ranking has dropped from over 80% in 2021 to 50%

Yevgeny Demkivskyi - 14 July, 12:41 PM

Netflix maintains its lead among streaming services, with Squid Game becoming the most popular original series in the first half of 2025. However, the company's overall share of the top viewership is declining, from more than 80% in 2021 to less than 50% now, Bloomberg reports.

Amazon and Apple also made the top 10, according to Nielsen. Series like Reacher, Jack Ryan, The Boys and The Rings of Power have cemented Amazon's reputation as a platform for action and fantasy fans. HBO also had hits like The Last of Us, White Lotus and The Pitt, but Nielsen counted them as "acquired" rather than original.

At the same time, free ad-supported services are gaining popularity. YouTube, the Roku Channel, and Tubi are all increasing their share of viewing, while Netflix and Disney+ are holding steady. YouTube now accounts for 12.5% of all U.S. television viewing, more than Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and Paramount+ combined.

Peacock and Disney+ do not have any shows in the Nielsen top, and Hulu remains the primary platform for watching reruns, including Grey's Anatomy.

In the children's segment, the most popular show remains Bluey (Disney), but competition comes from Mrs. Rachel, which started on YouTube and has now appeared on Netflix.

Cinemas also saw modest growth, with ticket sales up 8% year-on-year, but still 27% below pre-pandemic levels. The highest-grossing film of the year was China's Ne Zha 2 , while Hollywood's Lilo & Stitch was the highest-grossing film.

Marvel is showing worse results: Brave New World and Thunderbolts collected about $400 million each, which is significantly lower than the figures before the pandemic.

Apple continues to invest in sports and will receive exclusive rights to broadcast Formula 1 in the United States for $150 million per year. The company already has contracts with MLS and MLB.

The second quarter of 2025 wasn't the strongest for Netflix. New subscriber growth slowed and the company is banking on its ad-supported plan, which is now chosen by nearly half of new users in the US.