Streaming: Most watched TV shows of 2021

Nope, Squid Game was not the most-watched series in the United States in 2021. At least that’s what a Nielsen study on streaming indicates. The South Korean series was beaten by American series Lucifer.

It’s the series that Americans watched most in 2021.

Lucifer, which airs on Netflix, takes the top spot among the most-watched original programs on streaming, Nielsen revealed in its study.

The fantasy series about the fallen angel racked up more than 18.3 billion minutes watched in 2021, ahead of Squid Game with its 16.4 billion views, and the cooking show Great British Baking Show with 13.6 billion minutes watched.

The success of Lucifer is due in particular to its 93 available episodes. According to the study, the series attracted more of a female audience and appealed equally to the 18-34, 35-49 and 50-64 demographics, just as the Great British Baking Show did.

The sixth and final season of Lucifer Morningstar’s adventures launched on September 10, 2021 on Netflix. 

Released a week later on the same streaming platform, Squid Game still tallied more than 16.4 billion minutes watched, and that’s with just nine episodes. The drama series drew younger viewers compared to Netflix’s average. Thirty-seven percent of its viewers were between 18 and 34 years old.

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Of the 15 most-watched series according to Nielsen, only Hulu, Apple TV+ and Disney+ stand out against Netflix’s supremacy.

The Handmaid’s Tale, airing on Hulu in the US, takes the tenth spot, Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ is in 12th place and WandaVision (Disney+) came in 14th place. The series spun off from the Marvel universe was also the most pirated in 2021.

As for the old programs on streaming platforms, Criminal Minds, still available on Netflix in the United States, is the leader with 33.8 billion minutes watched thanks to its 322 available episodes. A ranking that once again demonstrates the power of Netflix, which takes 13 places in this top 15. Bones on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu as well as Seinfeld on Hulu, but also available on Netflix, make a breakthrough at the 13th and 14th place respectively.

Note, however, that the Nielsen study only counted minutes watched on TV and not on a smartphone. Only the streaming platforms Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video and Apple TV+ were analyzed, leaving out series like Friends on HBO Max.

Top 15 original streaming shows in 2021

1. Lucifer – Netflix – 93 episodes – 18.342 billion minutes watched
2. Squid Game – Netflix – 9 episodes – 16,432
3. Great British Baking Show – Netflix – 75 episodes – 13,636
4. Virgin River – Netflix – 30 episodes – 12,908
5. Bridgerton – Netflix – 8 episodes – 12,356
6. You – Netflix – 30 episodes – 11,124
7. Cobra Kai – Netflix – 30 episodes – 10,915
8. The Crown – Netflix – 40 episodes – 9,651
9. Longmire – Netflix – 63 episodes – 8,892
10. The Handmaid’s Tale – Hulu – 46 episodes – 8,564
11. Outer Banks – Netflix – 20 episodes – 8,301
12. Ted Lasso – Apple TV+ – 22 episodes – 8,161
13. Maid – Netflix – 10 episodes – 8.103
14. WandaVision – Disney+ – 9 episodes – 7,284
15. The Witcher – Netflix – 16 episodes – 7,067 

Top 15 streaming shows re-released in 2021

1. Criminal Minds – Netflix – 322 episodes – 33,865.00
2. CoComelon – Netflix – 15 episodes – 33,278.00
3. Grey’s Anatomy – Netflix – 382 episodes – 32,625.00
4. NCIS – Netflix – 354 episodes – 29,529.00
5. Heartland – Netflix – 215 episodes – $20,410.00
6. Manifest – Netflix – 42 episodes -19,923.00
7. Supernatural – Netflix – 329 episodes – 18,912.00
8. Schitt’s Creek – Netflix – 80 episodes – 18,062.00
9. Gilmore Girls – Netflix – 153 episodes -14,704.00
10. New Girl – Netflix – 146 episodes – 14,680.00
11. Shameless – Netflix – 134 episodes – 14,406.00
12. The Blacklist – Netflix – 169 episodes – 12,137.00
13. Bones – Amazon/Hulu – 246 episodes – 11,012.00
14. Seinfeld – Hulu/Netflix – 166 episodes – 10,447.00
15. The Walking Dead – Netflix – 153 episodes – 10,377.0

*The Nielsen study counted views after two minutes of watching the program. 

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