Need a show to binge? These are the must watch shows this summer
USA TODAY’s TV critic Kelly Lawler breaks down the best TV shows you don’t to want to miss this summer
The numbers for the most-streamed shows of the year, at least so far, are in.
Nielsen, a global market research firm, has recently revealed which shows have captured the hearts, minds and attention of American audiences from January through June 2025, including where they rank.
With over 25 billion minutes viewed so far this year, beloved Disney+ series “Bluey” takes the No. 1 slot. “Bluey” was also the most-streamed show of 2024.
“Through the first half of 2025, streaming is being dominated by the animated import from Australia, Disney+’s ‘Bluey,'” Nielsen said in a news release. “(Bluey’s) 154 episodes continue to be a sensation for kids, parents and Disney alike.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Australian children’s show has appeared on Nielsen’s streaming ratings, either on the overall list or on the Top 10 acquired series for 143 straight weeks, dating back to October 2022, about three years after its debut in the U.S.
Children-focused programming like “Bluey” frequently tops rankings like this one because families, specifically children, watch episodes over and over again, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
But the programming featured in Nielsen’s newest report is not all children’s shows, with medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” Netflix’s “Squid Game,” among others, cracking the Top 10.
What other shows made the Top 10? See the list.
‘Bluey’ leads the pack, takes No. 1 slot
“Bluey” leads the pack with 25.059 billion minutes viewed and is closely followed by medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” with 22.551 billion minutes viewed, then military police procedural show “NCIS,” “Family Guy” and “Bob’s Burgers” round out the Top 5.
Four of the Top 10 most-streamed titles, including “Family Guy,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Bluey” fell into the animation category.
Another four fell into the procedural TV series category, which includes “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS, “The Rookie” and “Law & Order: SVU”. The sitcom “Big Bang Theory” and “Squid Game,” a South Korean dystopian survival thriller, were the two standalones featured in the Top 10.
According to Nielsen, “Squid Game,” a series with a smaller library of episodes, punched above its weight, accruing over 15 billion viewing minutes across just 22 total episodes. The Netflix show managed to secure the No. 9 overall spot.
Nielsen’s Top 10 most-streamed shows include:
“Bluey””Grey’s Anatomy””NCIS””Family Guy””Bob’s Burgers””SpongeBob SquarePants””Big Bang Theory””The Rookie””Squid Game””Law & Order: SVU”
All of the figures collected for Nielsen’s snapshot were collected from Dec. 29, 2024, through June 28, 2025, and ranked on total viewing minutes by “persons 2+”
Minutes are used as a comparative metric because “it’s the great equalizer across dissimilar program categories and ultimately shows how consumers are spending their viewing time,” according to Nielsen.
The data used was sourced through Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings, which is Nielsen’s streaming program measurement service that provides program and episode-level viewing metrics across non-linear TV viewing sources with audience breakouts.
Contributing: Gary Levin, USA TODAY