Nielsen’s latest report, which was based on viewership data from September 27 to October 3, marks the sixth time that a title had surpassed 3 billion minutes viewed in a week, per Deadline. “Squid Game” made its debut on Nielsen’s weekly reports last week, when it trounced the competition with 1.9 billion minutes viewed. The Korean-language drama series, which centers on deeply indebted individuals who participate in a twisted game show for the chance to win millions, had nearly triple the viewership of Netflix’s “Midnight Mass,” the second highest-ranked title of the week, which was viewed for 1.17 billion minutes.

Now the question is how long “Squid Game” will maintain its first place ranking in Nielsen’s reports. The odds could be in the show’s favor: Though many debut highly on Nielsen’s reports before quickly falling off in subsequent weeks, many Netflix titles, such as “Lucifer,” tend to have strong week-to-week longevity. Given the unusually high level of popularity for “Squid Game” and the fact that the show and director Hwang Dong-hyuk are still making headlines, it’s possible that “Squid Game” will remain a mainstay on Nielsen’s reports for at least several more weeks. Related New Movies: Release Calendar for December 23, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films Remember When Content Was King? 2022 Was the Year Streaming Dreams Died Related 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023 The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ to ‘McMillions’ to ‘The Staircase’
The strong success of “Squid Game” is certain to sit well with Netflix, which has made a point to highlight its investments in its non-English language programming in its quarterly earnings reports. Hwang told IndieWire in a recent interview that although he did not have plans for a sophomore season while working on the show, the popularity of “Squid Game” has given him ample pressure to consider a Season 2.

As for high-profile titles that were missing from Nielsen’s latest report, Disney+’s animated “Star Wars: Visions” series, which premiered in full on September 22, did not rank on Nielsen’s report. The show was also eligible to appear on Nielsen’s report last week, which suggests that the show is unlikely to surface despite strong reviews from critics. Top 10 Original Streaming TV Shows

  1. Squid Game (Netflix) – 3,260 million minutes
  2. Midnight Mass (Netflix) – 1,171 million minutes
  3. Lucifer (Netflix) – 536 million minutes
  4. The Great British Baking Show (Netflix) – 534 million minutes
  5. Sex Education (Netflix) – 469 million minutes
  6. Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) – 455 million minutes
  7. The Circle (Netflix) – 266 million minutes
  8. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – 263 million minutes
  9. What If…? (Disney+) – 223 million minutes Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.