Streaming Giants Outshine Theaters as Sirens, The Last of Us Dominate Viewership

It’s a wild week for binge-watching, and it’s clear people are cozying up at home instead of hitting the theaters during this packed summer season.

Image Credit: Netflix

Streaming is having a moment, and the numbers prove it. Nielsen’s latest report for May 19–25, 2025, shows Netflix’s Sirens bursting onto the scene with a whopping 1.4 billion minutes watched, while HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 finale and Netflix’s All American Season 7 are pulling in huge crowds. It’s a wild week for binge-watching, and it’s clear people are cozying up at home instead of hitting the theaters during this packed summer season.

Sirens, Netflix’s new dark comedy with Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, and Julianne Moore, dropped on May 22 and racked up 1.36 billion minutes in just four days. That’s enough to claim the top spot on both Nielsen’s overall and original series charts. It’s clicking with Millennials and Gen X (57% of viewers are 35–64) and leaning slightly female at 59%. No other show hit a billion minutes this week, making Sirens the one to beat. Netflix is on a roll, with Cobra Kai (803 million minutes) and The Witcher (540 million) also landing in the top five original series.

Over on HBO, The Last of Us Season 2 wrapped up on May 25, nabbing 707 million minutes on Max for a No. 2 spot. That’s just streaming—HBO says the finale pulled 3.7 million viewers across all platforms, and Season 2’s been averaging a massive 37 million viewers per episode worldwide, a 76% jump from Season 1. It’s a hit with the 18–49 crowd (55% of its streaming audience) and has a slight male edge at 51%. Meanwhile, Netflix’s All American Season 7, freshly dropped for streaming, scored 559 million minutes, landing at No. 8 among acquired shows. Its younger viewers (55% aged 18–49, 54% female) are clearly hooked.

Other standouts include Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives with 810 million minutes and The Handmaid’s Tale at 637 million, plus Netflix’s Outer Banks (693 million) and The Lincoln Lawyer (672 million). Total streaming minutes dipped 6% from the prior week to 37.1 billion, with Netflix leading at 45.9% share, followed by YouTube (9.2%), Prime Video (8.6%), Disney+ (6.1%), and Hulu (5.9%). The Juneteenth holiday might’ve played a role, but it’s clear streaming’s where the action is.

With Sirens breaking records and The Last of Us wrapping with a bang, viewers are glued to their couches. It’s a tough time for theaters trying to compete with this kind of at-home entertainment buzz, but it’s hard to argue with the pull of a good binge.

Source: Deadline