KPop Demon Hunters Shatters Netflix Records: More Views Than Stranger Things & Wednesday

If the fifth season of Stranger Things taught us anything, it’s that Netflix can’t always please everyone, despite all the power, money, and influence the company has at its fingertips. However, there’s one big exception that can’t be denied: KPop Demon Hunters, which amassed a delighted following of satisfied customers so huge, it has thus far racked up more views than two of the streamer’s biggest TV hits: Stranger Things season five and Wednesday season two. The Wrap did the math on this one, reporting that since KPop Demon Hunters premiered on June 20, it has “tallied up a whopping 481.6 million views during the second half of 2025, standing as the most-watched title across film and TV during the six-month period.” Those numbers mean the film did better than both Wednesday season two (“the most-watched TV show during the second half of 2025 with 123.9 million views”) and Stranger Things 5, “which took the No. 2 spot on the TV side with 93.5 million views.” The trade notes the Stranger Things numbers don’t account for “residual viewing” of the Stranger Things finale, which arrived on New Year’s Eve, and likely pulled in more views early in 2026. Even so, 481.6 million views is a staggering triumph for the hour-and-40-minute film. You can imagine KPop‘s likely presence at the Oscars—a Best Song live performance feels like a given—will attract even more eyeballs in the coming months. Netflix has some other outrageous numbers keeping it happy today, even as its Warner Bros. deal continues to withstand pesky Paramount interference. Variety writes that the streamer announced it surpassed 325 million subscribers, many of whom presumably watched KPop Demon Hunters at least once, in the final quarter of 2025. Netflix also plans to spend $20 billion on originals this year, up from $18 billion last year, and expand its library of licensed content. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.