2025 saw final seasons take a victory lap, with Stranger Things and Squid Game topping Nielsen’s annual streaming charts and solidifying Netflix’s dominance in originals. But it was also a year where Seth MacFarlane’s legacy as a streaming force was formally stamped, with the inaugural “Streaming Icon of the Year” Artey Award going to the Family Guy creator, backed by a staggering 60+ billion minutes of viewing across platforms.
Stranger Things Dominated Again
Netflix’s Stranger Things led all original series with 39.54 billion minutes streamed in the U.S., according to Nielsen’s 2025 Artey Awards data. The final season, released in phases during the holiday season, drove 25.1 billion of those minutes in just five weeks. That figure does not even include the series finale, which dropped on New Year’s Eve and fell outside Nielsen’s 2025 tracking window. The show swept key demographics, ranking No. 1 among teens, adults 18 to 34, and adults 35 to 49.
Squid Game closed out its own final chapter in June and finished at No. 2 with 22.41 billion minutes viewed. Other Netflix titles like Wednesday, Ginny & Georgia, The Night Agent, and Love Is Blind also placed in the top 10, helping Netflix claim five of the year’s top original series.
A Few Standouts Beyond Netflix
Not every hit came from Netflix. Paramount+’s Landman took the No. 4 spot with 18.89 billion minutes, even without its final three episodes, which aired in early 2026. Prime Video’s Reacher ranked fifth with 15.64 billion minutes, and Peacock’s Love Island USA landed at No. 7 with 13.46 billion.
On the acquired side, Bluey outperformed all other content with 45.2 billion minutes on Disney+. It was the most-watched title of the year, across originals, acquisitions, and movies.
Seth MacFarlane Named First Streaming Icon
Seth MacFarlane received the first-ever Artey for Streaming Icon of the Year, based on the performance of his full library across platforms. Nielsen reported more than 60 billion viewing minutes for its content in 2025.
Key drivers included:
- Family Guy was the No. 7 streaming program overall, appearing on Nielsen’s top 10 list for 37 weeks. It was also the top title among adults 18 to 34.
- American Dad! ranked as the No. 3 adult animation title.
- MacFarlane’s films, including Ted, The Naked Gun, and A Million Ways to Die in the West, pulled in nearly 2 billion minutes.
- Additional titles like The Orville, Ted (series), and Cosmos brought in another 3 billion.
His shows streamed across Hulu, Peacock, and Netflix, illustrating rare cross-platform viewership. His company Fuzzy Door remains busy, with upcoming projects like The ‘Burbs and Sagan scheduled to release in early 2026.
Streaming Time Reaches New Record
2025 was the most-streamed year on record, with audiences spending 16.7 trillion minutes across platforms. That’s up 19 percent from 2024. In more relatable terms, that equates to 277.6 billion hours, or over 31.7 million years of viewing.
The data confirms what many already suspect. Streaming engagement continues to rise, driven by big finales, platform-spanning libraries, and established IP that know how to deliver.
