The final season of \u201cStranger Things\u201d was so popular that Netflix on TVs crashed for a few minutes after the first four episodes dropped last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
But that didn\u2019t deter fans who generated 59.6 million views for Volume 1 of the final season last week, a record for the sci-fi series that began in 2016, according to Netflix. It also broke a record in viewership for the premiere week of any English-language show on Netflix.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sheer number of fans who have already watched Volume 1 is staggering \u2014 the response has been more than we ever could have dreamed,\u201d said the show\u2019s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, in a statement. \u201cThe show is now a decade old, and seeing the fanbase not only endure but continue to grow has been incredibly rewarding for us, the actors, and the thousands of artists who helped bring this story to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The show\u2019s throwback to the 1980s and its themes of friendship and adventure struck a chord with global audiences. It has become one of the most popular franchises<\/a> for Netflix and helped propel the streamer\u2019s business in live events and branding opportunities. <\/p>\n The next three episodes of the final season will be released on Christmas Day, followed by the roughly two-hour finale on Dec. 31.<\/p>\n The fandom behind hit sci-fi series \u201cStranger Things\u201d is a force to be reckoned with. Netflix said Tuesday that the finale also will be available for viewing in over 500 theaters, 150 more than previously announced, on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.<\/p>\n While Netflix has brought show episodes to theaters in the past, it generally releases many of them on its streaming service. Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in an interview last month that the decision to bring the \u201cStranger Things\u201d finale to theaters came after a conversation with the Duffer Brothers, and \u201cwe thought it was a really fun way to eventize it.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cYou can watch it at home, you can go out to the theater and watch that last episode … it has amazing cinematic scale,\u201d Bajaria said. <\/p>\n The Duffer Brothers told Netflix\u2019s Tudum<\/a> that bringing the finale to theaters is \u201csomething we\u2019ve dreamed about for years.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cGetting to see it on the big screen, with incredible sound, picture, and a room full of fans, feels like the perfect \u2014 dare we say bitchin\u2019 \u2014 way to celebrate the end of this adventure,\u201d they said. <\/p>\n Already, enthusiasm for the show has been tremendous. Analytics firm Samba TV estimated that 39% of U.S. households that had watched at least one episode of \u201cStranger Things\u201d Season 5 from Nov. 26 to 30 on TVs, had binged all four available episodes within the first 48 hours. Netflix declined to comment on Samba\u2019s data. <\/p>\n \u201cStranger Things is a perfect storm of cultural relevance, broadly appealing narratives, and a smart release strategy,\u201d said Ashwin Navin, co-founder and chief executive of Samba TV, in a statement. \u201cNetflix has proven its ability to create a true tentpole event in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n After the first four episodes of Season 5 were released last Wednesday at 5 p.m., Netflix on TV devices was down for a few minutes. <\/p>\n The show\u2019s fourth season ranks as the third-most viewed English-language series on the service in its first three months, generating 140.7 million views, according to Netflix. <\/p>\n This week, \u201cStranger Things\u201d became the only English-language show to have all seasons in the Top 10 on Netflix, the streamer said. Cumulatively, the first four seasons of \u201cStranger Things\u201d have generated more than 1.2 billion views, the streamer said. <\/p>\n Part of the surge in viewership was due to fans like Jason Serstock rewatching past seasons of the show in the lead up to the final season. Netflix said its rewatch campaign was its largest prelaunch campaign, with 5.75 billion global social impressions. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to refresh our memories,\u201d said 32-year-old Serstock, an aspiring actor who attended the premiere of the final season in Hollywood last month. <\/p>\n After the series ends, Netflix has plans to continue the franchise. It will host \u201cStranger Things\u201d fan experiences and photo opportunities at its Netflix House locations and, next year, will release animated series \u201cStranger Things: Tales from \u201985.\u201d The show\u2019s creators also told Deadline<\/a> there are plans for a spinoff. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a natural extension of a brand fostered and turned into a juggernaut,\u201d said Tom Nunan, a former studio and network executive. \u201cI believe that chances are greater that they will succeed than they won\u2019t, because there\u2019s such tremendous loyalty to this brand and I don\u2019t think that the audience is nearly satiated yet.\u201d <\/p>\n