Check out the 10 most watched series on Netflix in 2026, according to new data
The year 2026 further consolidated Netflix’s position in the streaming landscape, driven by a series of episodic releases that stood out globally. The platform has been successful in offering a wide selection of original productions, ranging from documentaries and reality shows to sequels to acclaimed titles, ensuring options for different audiences and maintaining subscriber interest.
This strategy of continuous releases has proven effective, with many productions gaining worldwide popularity. A notable example was the year 2025, when “Adolescence” reached second place in Netflix’s global series ranking, while the fifth season of “Stranger Things” and the second season of “Wednesday” were among the five most watched.
Netflix’s programming schedule for 2026 reflects this diversity, featuring both long-awaited returns, such as new seasons of “Virgin River” and the reality shows “Love Is Blind” and “Love on the Spectrum”, as well as new productions that explore genres such as suspense, horror and science fiction, seeking to capture global attention.
This panorama was confirmed with several launches throughout the year. Based on official audience information, below we present the ten most watched series on Netflix in 2026, according to the most recent data.
The compiled numbers consider the period from January 1st to August 9th, based on Netflix’s global Top 10 lists. A recent update shows “The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare” entering the rankings, taking the place of the third season of “The Night Agent.”
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10. Documentary about Michael Jackson generates huge audiences
In a move that capitalizes on the buzz surrounding Lionsgate’s “Michael,” Netflix has released “Michael Jackson: The Verdict,” a three-episode documentary miniseries. The production about the “King of Pop” already has 27.5 million views in its first three weeks of broadcast.
The success is mainly attributed to the series’ debut in first position, recording 17.8 million views — the fourth highest for a Netflix series in 2026. The following week, 7.2 million views were added, before falling to 2.5 million in the third week. After this period, “Michael Jackson: The Verdict” left the top ten list.
9. New True Crime Documentary About Idaho Murders Wins Over Audience
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Netflix’s approach to true crime documentaries resulted in another hit in 2026 with the series “The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare.” The public’s great interest in murder cases at universities, such as the one that occurred in 2022, took the production to the Top 10 in just two weeks, accumulating 28.8 million views.
The series premiere represented the third biggest viewing week for a production on the platform in 2026, with 18.2 million views. “The Idaho Murders” remained in first place in its second week, adding another 10.6 million views. Currently, this is Netflix’s most watched documentary series of the year, with expectations for it to continue growing.
8. Police drama Nemesis consolidates itself as a great success on the platform
One of Netflix’s most prominent releases was the first season of “Nemesis”. The eight-episode crime drama, released in May, continually captivated subscribers. Over the first five weeks, “Nemesis” accumulated 30 million views, remaining among the three most watched series globally in the first three weeks. The peak of views occurred in the second week, with 11.4 million, guaranteeing world leadership.
After a month, the series entered the Top 5, adding 3.5 million views in the fourth week and 2.1 million in the fifth. “Nemesis” is among the six 2026 series that have remained in the top four global positions for four weeks in a row. Given the impressive performance, Netflix confirmed the second season of the production.
7. Avatar: The Last Airbender’s second season underperforms
The live-action version of Nickelodeon’s animated series, “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” returned in June 2026 with its second season on Netflix. The public’s constant interest propelled the series into the Top 10 of the year, where it remained for six weeks, accumulating 30.8 million views to date. However, its presence on the charts came to an end after this period.
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The performance of the second season, however, is significantly lower than that of the first, which debuted with 21.2 million views and remained in the Top 10 for six weeks, totaling 61.2 million. In just over a month, the new season did not even reach 50% of this figure, remaining 28 million views below the debut season’s total in the same period.
6. Man on Fire series: success after film adaptation on Netflix
Observing the popularity of Denzel Washington’s films in its catalog, Netflix relaunched “Man on Fire” as a television series in 2026. With Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the role of John Creasy, the action and suspense production, consisting of seven episodes, quickly rose in the rankings. The first season of “Man on Fire” reached 35 million views in the first 91 days – the standard period for Netflix counting – and a total of 40 million throughout the year.
After its release, the series led the global audience for two weeks, recording 11 million and 12.6 million views, respectively. In subsequent weeks, it remained among the five most watched productions. This positive performance leads to the expectation that Netflix will soon announce a second season of “Man on Fire”.
5. Audience for the second season of One Piece is smaller than the first
Netflix continues with good results in adapting the manga “One Piece” into a live-action fantasy action series. The second season reached 39.5 million views in five weeks in the Top 10, three of them in first position. In total, Netflix reports that the second season of “One Piece” has generated 47 million views as of June 2026.
The good performance was driven by 16.8 million views in the opening week, with a drop to 11.1 million the following week. In the third week, little competition allowed “One Piece” to maintain its lead with 5.9 million views. Despite being one of the most watched series of the year, the audience for the second season is lower than that of the first.
The initial chapters of the series remained in the Top 10 for eight consecutive weeks, accumulating 63.6 million views. Of this total, 57.8 million were registered in the first five weeks. The second season of “One Piece” is 18.3 million views behind the first. To the delight of fans, the third season has already been confirmed.
4. Korean Drama “I’ll Teach You a Lesson” Tops Non-English Series
So far, the only foreign-language production on the list, “I’ll Teach You a Lesson,” has had recent dominance on Netflix’s non-English series charts. Released on June 5, the Korean action drama has racked up 61.9 million views in nine weeks, making it one of the platform’s top ten most-watched non-English series.
The success came after the series remained in first place among non-English productions for four consecutive weeks. Despite a more discreet debut, with 6.4 million views, interest grew 229% in the second week, reaching 21.1 million. Viewership remained stable in the third (11.8 million) and fourth (7.3 million) weeks, which allowed it to surpass the second season of “One Piece” and continue to grow in the following weeks.
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3. His & Hers stands out as one of the biggest hits of 2026
Among Netflix’s biggest television hits in 2026, “For Him and Her” (His & Hers) stands out. The six-episode mystery thriller, starring Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson, has attracted worldwide attention since its release in January, remaining at the top of the global charts for three weeks. The series racked up 90.6 million views over seven weeks in the Top 10.
The total confirmed audience, however, is even higher. “For him and for her” secured its presence on the list of Netflix’s most watched programs for months, recording 98.2 million views. Even after leaving the Top 10, the series received over 7.6 million views during the first 91 days of release. So far, Netflix has confirmed a total of 104 million views for this year.
The numbers reflect the intense interest in “For him and for her” in its first three months on the platform. The series holds the 2026 record for the most third-week viewing among all TV shows, with 17.2 million views.
2. Harlan Coben’s new production, I Will Find You, is a worldwide success
Author Harlan Coben, already known for scoring hits on Netflix – such as the series “Run Away” in 2026, which was in the Top 10 –, is now once again captivating a global audience with “I Will Find You”. The production reached 110 million views in the first eight weeks, reaching the Top 3 in just two weeks of release.
