Over the past three years, the rankings of the top streaming shows and movies have revealed some interesting patterns. The three titles that have consistently made the rankings are Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and Cocomelon. These shows have appeared in the rankings more than any other titles on any streaming platform. Not a single week has passed since the first chart was released that didn’t feature at least one of these shows.
Grey’s Anatomy holds the record for the longest streak of consecutive weeks in the top 10. The show has appeared in the rankings for 144 weeks before finally falling out of the top 10 acquired series. It has appeared in 153 of the 157 Nielsen streaming rankings.
NCIS and Cocomelon are not far behind. They have both appeared for 135 consecutive weeks and have the potential to surpass Grey’s Anatomy in the coming months if they continue to make the rankings.
One important factor to consider in the rankings is the total time spent watching all episodes of a series. Shows with large libraries have a distinct advantage. Of the 12 titles that have spent the most time in the rankings, six of them are current or former broadcast series with at least 150 episodes each. This includes shows like Criminal Minds, Supernatural, Gilmore Girls, and The Big Bang Theory. Another show called Heartland, which has been running in Canada since 2007, also has a large library of over 230 episodes.
However, even shows without a large number of episodes can still make the rankings thanks to repeat viewing, especially among children. Cocomelon, which is aimed at preschoolers, has been on a 135-week run in the top 10 acquired series, despite only having about 20 hours’ worth of programming on Netflix. The young kids watch these episodes repeatedly, leading to its consistent presence in the rankings. Another example is Bluey, which has a catalog of 140 episodes on Disney+, each running about eight minutes. Although it has less than 19 hours of content, it topped a billion minutes of viewing in a single week in the Nielsen rankings.
Repeat viewing also benefits movies. Disney films Moana and Encanto have consistently made the top 10 films list due to repeat viewings. The threshold for making the top 10 movies is typically lower than for TV series since a feature film is only a couple of hours’ worth of viewing compared to the longer running time of a series.
When it comes to original streaming series, they tend to burn hot and bright for a while before falling out of the rankings between seasons. One exception is The Great British Baking Show, which is a Netflix original outside the United Kingdom but is produced by Channel 4 in its home country. It airs in the UK first before streaming in the US with a larger library and a weekly release pattern.
Overall, the rankings of the top streaming shows and movies reveal the influence of repeat viewing, large libraries, and the popularity of certain genres among different age groups. While shows like Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and Cocomelon have consistently performed well, the rankings also reflect the evolving preferences and streaming habits of viewers over time.
