Streaming Ratings: Viewers Get Stranger

Streaming Ratings: ‘The Crown’ Leads as Viewership Surges for Final Season

Streaming viewership saw a notable boost the week of November 17, 2025, led by Netflix‘s The crown, which experienced a 25% increase in viewing minutes as audiences anticipated the premiere of it’s fifth and final season on November 26th. According to Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings, four titles surpassed one billion viewing minutes, with Netflix dominating the chart with five titles overall.

Top Streaming Titles of the Week

Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 streaming titles for the week of November 17, 2025:

1. the Crown (Netflix): The past drama continued its strong performance, attracting a growing audience eager to see the conclusion of the series.
2. The Beast in Me (Netflix): this Netflix mini-series climbed from third to second place, garnering 1.661 billion viewing minutes in its second week.
3. Landman (Paramount+): The second season of Landman debuted with notable numbers, securing the third spot with 1.194 billion viewing minutes. Landman focuses on the high-stakes world of oil drilling.
4. Absentia (Netflix): Newly acquired by Netflix, Absentia quickly captured viewers’ attention, achieving 1.056 billion viewing minutes.
5. Gray’s Anatomy (Netflix/Hulu): The long-running medical drama, available on both Netflix and Hulu, rounded out the top five with 805 million viewing minutes.
6. NCIS (Hulu, Netflix, Pluto, Paramount+): The popular procedural drama remained steady in sixth place, accumulating 755 million viewing minutes across multiple platforms.
7. Law & Order (Hulu,Peacock): Law & Order made a return to the chart,reaching 710 million viewing minutes shared between Hulu and Peacock.
8. The Secret Lives of Mormon (Hulu): Hulu’s docuseries climbed two spots to eighth place, with 703 million viewing minutes.
9. Bluey (Disney+): The popular children’s animated series Bluey dropped two spots to ninth place, with 674 million viewing minutes.
10. Gunsmoke (Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto): The classic Western series concluded the top ten, with 669 million viewing minutes across Paramount+, Peacock, and Pluto.

The Rise of Streaming and Nielsen’s Role

Nielsen’s streaming content ratings have become a crucial metric for the industry, providing valuable insights into viewing habits and the performance of streaming content. These ratings help content creators and distributors understand what resonates with audiences and inform future programming decisions. The increasing fragmentation of the streaming landscape – with numerous platforms vying for viewers – makes accurate measurement even more vital. Nielsen has adapted its methodology to account for the unique challenges of measuring streaming viewership, including different playback models and the availability of content across multiple platforms.

Key Takeaways

* Netflix Dominates: Netflix continues to be a major player in the streaming landscape, securing the most titles in the top 10.
* Anticipation Drives Viewership: The upcoming final season of The Crown considerably boosted viewership for the series.
* Strong Debuts: New seasons of Landman and the addition of Absentia to Netflix demonstrated the power of fresh content.
* Cross-Platform Viewing: Several titles, like NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy, are viewed across multiple streaming services, highlighting the importance of platform availability.

Looking ahead, the streaming landscape is expected to become even more competitive. As more platforms launch and content libraries expand, accurate measurement and a deep understanding of audience preferences will be essential for success. The continued evolution of Nielsen’s ratings will play a vital role in shaping the future of streaming.