Bridgerton and Stranger Things – Picture Credits: Netflix
When it comes to Netflix’s English-language crown jewels, few titles hold a candle to the global dominance of Stranger Things and Bridgerton. We’re now quite deep into the 91-day launch windows (the window that determines Netflix’s all-time most-watched list) of both Stranger Things 5 and Bridgerton season 4, so how well are they performing? Will either overtake its predecessor? No is the answer, but it’s close.
Thanks to the excellent tracking charts from our friend Frédéric over at Netflix & Chiffres, we have a clear look at the 91-day viewership trajectories for both Stranger Things Season 5 and Bridgerton Season 4. The verdict? Neither show will overtake its immediate predecessor in total Views (Completed Viewing Equivalents or CVEs). In fact, one of them is missing a major all-time milestone altogether.
Let’s break down the numbers.
Stranger Things Season 5: The Upside Down Momentum
Going into the final season of the Duffer Brothers’ sci-fi epic, expectations couldn’t have been higher. Season 4 was a cultural juggernaut, propelled by water-cooler moments and a viral Kate Bush revival, finishing its 91-day window with a staggering 140.7 million views.
If we look at the Season 5 trajectory, the launch was undeniably massive. For a brief, shining window between Day 10 and Day 21, Season 5 was actually pacing ahead of Season 4, but that was mostly due to how the episodes dropped. For Season 4, the series was split into two parts, whereas Season 5 was split into three, meaning the runtime was ultimately lower for each part, skewing early view numbers.
By Day 28, the red line of Season 5 slipped below the black line of Season 4, and the gap has only widened since. As of Day 77, Season 5 has 132.7 million views.
With only a couple of weeks left in its crucial 91-day premiere window, the curve has essentially flattened. It is mathematically impossible for Season 5 to find the 8 million extra views needed to dethrone Season 4. While 130M+ views is a phenomenal, blockbuster result that any other streamer would kill for and will leave it fifth in Netflix’s all-time most-watched list, it won’t be ending with a blockbuster high. We’ll leave it to you to figure out why that is.
Bridgerton Season 4: A Slower Stroll Through the Ton
If Stranger Things is suffering from front-loaded bingeing, Bridgerton Season 4 is suffering from a slightly cooler reception overall.
Season 3 was an absolute monster for Netflix, wrapping up its 91-day window with 106.0 million views, ultimately above season 2 and behind season 1 of Bridgerton, which clocked 113.3M in the same period. Moving into Season 4, the hope was that the beloved Shondaland romance would keep its upward momentum. Instead, things have slowed, but not dramatically.
Looking at the initial rollout, Season 4 is currently clocking in at 80.0 million views around the Day 14 mark. While 80 million views in two weeks is a staggering number for television, it lags noticeably behind Season 3, which had already crossed the ~85 million mark at the same point in its lifespan.
But the drop-off means more than just losing out to Season 3. Based on this current trajectory and the typical decay rate of Bridgerton seasons after their first 14 days, Season 4 is not expected to crack Netflix’s All-Time Top 10 English TV list.
To enter the Top 10, the series will need to clock over 98.2M views (currently held by The Night Agent S1) after 91 days. While 80 million at Day 14 looks close on paper, Netflix shows notoriously hit a brick wall in viewership growth after their first month. Our current projection models have Season 4 falling just short of the cutoff by the time its 91-day window closes, making it the second Bridgerton season to miss the all-time Top 10 (season 2 and Queen Charlotte were at once present but later dropped out).
There’s still a way to go, but what do you think – will viewership suddenly catch up on Netflix’s two flagship series? Let us know in the comments down below.
