Netflix, Over 97 Billion Hours Watched in First Half... Record High

Netflix released its '2026 First Half Viewing Report (What We Watched)' on July 17. The report includes viewing data for all content available on Netflix. Viewing numbers represent total watch time divided by runtime. This marks the first time Netflix has shared such data since its weekly Top 10 releases began in 2021. Among the top 10 most-watched series, five are first-season originals. 'His Story & Her Story' became the most-watched title, accumulating 140 million views despite being a new release. South Korean series 'The Education of Love' entered the global Top 10 within a month of release, reaching 48.2 million views. 'Squid Game' logged 14.4 million views, while 'Is This Love Translated?' and 'Lady Dua' reached 28.6 and 25.8 million views respectively. Global Netflix users watched over 97 billion hours in the first half, a record for a single reporting period. No single title accounted for more than 1% of total viewing time. Non-English content accounted for over a third of total viewing, with South Korean content comprising the highest proportion among non-English offerings. Titles like 'The Education of Love,' 'The Great Flood,' 'Black and White Chef: Korean Cooking Class Season 2,' and 'Solo Hell Season 5' achieved broad viewership across genres. Broadcast content, channel programming, and theatrical releases were also included. Kids' content showed diverse engagement, with 'Finding Nemo,' 'Baby Shark,' and 'Pinkfong Kids Kindergarten' maintaining consistent viewership. Domestic content exports were also highlighted, including SBS' 'The Great New World,' 'Chief Kim,' and 'Today's Sold-Out,' as well as tvN's 'Undercover Mee Hong' and JTBC's 'Everyone Is Fighting Against Their Own Insignificance.' Collaborations with the Korean film industry continued, with Netflix films like 'The Great Flood,' 'Husbands,' and 'Pavane' achieving viewership across action, comedy, and romance genres. 'Humin,' 'Tonight, If This Love Disappears,' and 'The End of the World Tonight' were released on Netflix after theatrical premieres.