Streaming owned the summer of 2025. Data from Nielsen showed that for the first time ever in June, streaming accounted for a higher percentage of total TV watched than broadcast and cable combined. There may have been some doubt as to the dominance of Netflix in this hierarchy of streaming excellence, but new data from Luminate shows that Netflix was the ruler of the roost all summer long.

According to Luminate’s figures, Netflix owns the list of the top streaming TV shows on subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services over the course of the summer, which Luminate defines as May 2 through Sept. 4. The mystery/thriller series “Untamed” topped charts for the streamer over the course of the summer, compiling 26.6 million views.

Netflix had all of the shows in the top 12 when measuring by views, and 15 of the top 20 Netflix series on the list call Netflix home. Of the competing streaming services on the list, only Prime Video has two titles in the top 20: “The Better Sister” and “Ballard,” the latest title set in the world of Detective Harry Bosch.

The dominant year by Netflix represents an improvement over 2024 for the service. Last year, three competing streamers had TV shows crack the top 10 list in summer views, but this year, Netflix owns that real estate all on its own. It’s another testament to the streaming service’s dominance in the marketplace and how competitors are, at best, hoping to secure the second-place spot in the streaming world.

Audience retention was a bit of a challenge for Netflix, though the top three shows on Luminate’s list of titles that lost viewership from the start of their season to the end were on other streaming services. Even so, Netflix had nine shows lose 24.7% of their audience from start to finish over the course of the summer; the worst offender was “Dept Q,” which saw 44% of the audience that started watching fail to finish out the season. This is despite the binge-release model that Netflix usually employs, which makes it easier to digest episodes quickly.

That doesn’t necessarily doom those titles, but it’s proof that even the most successful of streaming services doesn’t get everything 100% its own way all the time. Still, Netflix has a proven formula for creating success with audiences, a fact that it continues to prove with its huge customer base, excellent profit margins, and dominant viewership metrics.

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Netflix

Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”

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The platform constantly updates its catalog, introducing fresh content alongside timeless classics and international hits. Netflix’s commitment to storytelling has also earned critical acclaim, with award-winning exclusives such as “Roma,” “Marriage Story,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Mank,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In 2023, their animated film “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, further solidifying Netflix’s reputation for high-quality content.

Recently, Netflix has expanded beyond standard movies and TV titles with the addition of video podcasts, and is also exploring a digital store that would offer third-party streamers within the app.

Netflix offers three plans – stream on 2 devices in HD with the “Standard with Ads” ($8.99) plan, on 2 devices in HD with the “Standard” ($19.99) plan, and 4 devices in up to 4K on the “Premium” ($26.99) plan.

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