‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 May Be Netflix’s Most Successful Release Ever

Stranger Things Season 3 is cementing its place as the most-viewed Netflix original series in its first four days. On Monday, the streaming giant released viewership data for the sci-fi series’ third season, revealing that 40.7 million household accounts tuned in to watch the latest installment within four days of its July 4 debut, with 18.2 million completing the entire season.

Netflix rarely shares viewership numbers for its films and series, though in recent months it has begun sharing viewership numbers for choice originals, statistics that have been met with controversy from some.

Prior to Stranger Things‘ record-breaking performance, the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston starring comedy Murder Mystery held the record, with more than 30 million household views during its June opening weekend.

Meanwhile, Netflix revealed in April that The Umbrella Academy was viewed in 45 million member households in one month, and in January, the streamer revealed that You and Sex Education racked up 40 million views in their first months. The Sandra Bullock starring thriller Bird Box had the best first seven days for any Netflix film ever, racking in more than 45 million household account views.

As good as those numbers may seem for Stranger Things, it may not be enough to keep the beloved sci-fi series around for much longer. According to recently surfaced rumors, the series will cease to be after its not yet announced fourth season, the reason for which is largely due to the young cast members quickly growing into adults and fear that the series will begin to get repetitive.

According to multiple sources who spoke with JoBlo.com, Stranger Things will return for a fourth installment, though the season will serve to wrap the series up. A similar report from We Got This Covered cited “a very reliable source” who alleged that Stranger Things will end after Season 4, claiming that the streamer is choosing to abandon its original plan of giving the series five season.

While the claims are currently nothing more than rumors, Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers have previously stated their intention to end the series after four seasons.

“We’re thinking it will be a four-season thing and then out,” Ross Duffer told Vulture in a 2017 interview. “Though I don’t know if we can justify something bad happening to them once a year.”

Seasons 1-3 of Stranger Things are currently available for streaming on Netflix.