Here Are 10 of the Most Popular Netflix Shows According to Global Watchers

Michael Hein

04/06/2021 12:49 pm EDT

The latest report on the top series on Netflix indicates that the streamer's Netflix original series overwhelmingly dominates viewers. However, it also shows that most viewers do not even finish all of those shows. The numbers give some surprising insights into what people all over the world are watching.

Netflix is famously protective of its ratings and viewing metrics, choosing only to publish some stockholders' information. However, a new report by CompariTech got around this issue by inviting Netflix users from all over the world to submit their own Netflix data packages for macro analysis. Any user can download their entire Netflix viewing history straight from the website, and they are free to submit it to a site like CompariTech. This provides a reportedly balanced view of global statistics, with some room for error.

The results are surprising on a variety of levels. The reports show just how many people are binge-watching worldwide and how preferences seem to vary by location, demographic and genre. It also shows the surprising number of shows that go unfinished, even when the next episode is right there at the users' fingertips.

Netflix is likely glad to see its original series dominating the top 10 most-watched shows in its catalog. The company has invested huge sums in its own productions, and the results are beginning to show — particularly when it comes to TV. Scroll down for a look at the top 10 most-watched shows on Netflix.

The Vampire Diaries

At the bottom of the list is The Vampire Diaries — The CW's adaptation of L.J. Smith's novel series by the same name. However, the average user watched only 61 percent of the episodes available on Netflix. At the time of this writing, The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off series The Originals are both streaming on Netflix in the U.S.

Outer Banks

(Photo: Jackson Davis/Netflix)

Netflix's original series Outer Banks takes the next slot, but again with only a 60% completion rate. The series teen mystery series was beloved in its first season, and a second one is in the works already.

Bridgerton

(Photo: Netflix)

Another relatively recent Netflix original comes next — Bridgerton. The period drama from Shonda Rhimes just premiered in December and took the world by storm. However, the average user only got halfway through the show. Another season is on the way, though fans are sad to hear that it will be missing some of their favorite characters.

Sex Education

(Photo: Netflix)

British dramedy Sex Education is next, and users typically watched 61% of this Netflix original series. The show premiered in 2019 and returned for a second season in January of 2020. A third season is in the works.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

(Photo: Fox)

The geographical angle starts to become a serious factor as Brooklyn Nine-Nine enters the list. The NBC sitcom is actually not available on Netflix in the U.S., but it is in other countries. However, even there, users typically only watched about 46 percent of the available episodes.

Stranger Things

(Photo: Netflix)

One of Netflix's crown jewels is next: Stranger Things. The nostalgia-fueled thriller is currently filming its fourth season and is expected to end either with Season 4 or Season 5. Perhaps then fans will finish the series, but for now, most only watched 58% of it.

Friends

(Photo: Getty / NBC)

It's no surprise that the 1990s sitcom Friends is high on this list, as many fans admit to keeping it on a constant loop. At the time of this writing, Friends is not available on Netflix in the U.S., and it is not clear if it is available in any international markets right now. Regardless, fans tended to watch just 56% of the series — perhaps replaying their favorite episodes and skipping over the ones they disliked.

You

(Photo: Beth Dubber/Netflix)

You, the TV adaptation of Caroline Kepnes' novel, also rates high on Netflix's list. This is vindication for fans who fell in love with the show when it first premiered on Lifetime before it was moved to its permanent home on Netflix. Right now there are two seasons with a third on the way, and fans generally watched 47% of the episodes available.

Riverdale

(Photo: The CW/Robert Falconer)

Another CW drama, Riverdale, is the runner-up with a massive international audience on Netflix. The average viewer watched just 49% of Riverdale, though in this case that is still a lot of TV.

13 Reasons Why

(Photo: DAVID MOIR/NETFLIX)

Finally, the controversial drama 13 Reasons Why is the most-watched Netflix show around the world, according to CompariTech's findings. The series is based on Jay Asher's novel Thirteen Reasons Why, though it eventually surpassed the plot of the book and began working from the original material. It ended last summer with four seasons, but fans generally watched just 39% of the show.

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