Netflix recorded its strongest-ever first half for viewer engagement, with members watching more than 97 billion hours of content between January and June 2026.
The streaming giant said engagement reached a record level across a diverse mix of genres and languages, with non-English titles accounting for more than one-third of total viewing. Netflix also announced that beginning in Q1 2027, it will replace its six-month What We Watched report with an annual engagement report.
Among TV series, His & Hers became the most-watched title of the half with 104 million views, followed by Bridgerton Season 4 with 100 million views. New releases dominated the rankings, with five of the top 10 most-watched series debuting during the first half of 2026.
South Korean productions continued to perform strongly, with I Will Find You attracting 64 million views and Teach You a Lesson reaching 48 million views within a month of release. Other successful new series included Run Away with 50 million views and Nemesis Season 1 with 33 million views, which has already been renewed for a second season.
Returning seasons also boosted earlier episodes. Bridgerton Season 4 nearly tripled viewing across previous seasons and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story compared with the second half of 2025, lifting the entire franchise to 180 million views. Other franchises also benefited, including ONE PIECE with 69 million views across seasons, The Night Agent with 63 million, The Lincoln Lawyer with 59 million, and Virgin River with 54 million.
Netflix’s original film lineup generated massive audiences, led by War Machine with 147 million views. Action films dominated with The Rip reaching 136 million views, Swapped recording 131 million, Apex drawing 129 million, and Thrash crossing 100 million views.
Animated feature Swapped is on track to become Netflix’s second most-watched original animated film, behind KPop Demon Hunters, which still generated 130 million views despite premiering more than a year earlier. Other successful films included People We Meet on Vacation with 78 million views, Office Romance with 58 million, Voicemails for Isabelle with 53 million, and Remarkably Bright Creatures with 51 million.
International programming remained a major growth driver. South Korea delivered multiple global hits, including Can This Love Be Translated? with 29 million views, The Art of Sarah with 26 million, Bloodhounds Season 2 with 24 million, and My Royal Nemesis with 16 million.
Japan contributed Straight to Hell Season 1 with 10 million views and Sins of Kujo Season 1 with 9 million. Spain’s top performers included Firebreak with 34 million, Berlín and the Lady with an Ermine with 28 million, The Marked Woman with 26 million, and Oasis Season 1 with 10 million.
India achieved its highest-ever viewing for a six-month period, led by Dhurandhar with 37 million views, making it the platform’s most-watched non-English film during the reporting period. Other Indian successes included Accused with 19 million views, Made in Korea with 18 million, and Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web Season 1 with 16 million. South Africa also broke through globally with 180 reaching 37 million views and The Polygamist Season 1 drawing 17 million.
Additional international successes included Colors of Evil: Black from Poland with 23 million views, Radioactive Emergency Season 1 from Brazil with 22 million, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole Season 1 from Norway with 22 million, A Father’s Miracle from Mexico with 21 million, My Dearest Assassin from Thailand with 18 million, The Big Fake from Italy with 17 million, and The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek from Denmark with 11 million.
Netflix also reported strong engagement across live entertainment, anime, documentaries and family programming. The Roast of Kevin Hart and BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG each attracted 21 million views, while Skyscraper Live reached 13 million. More than half of Netflix members have now watched at least one anime title, with BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai Season 1, STEEL BALL RUN: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Cosmic Princess Kaguya! each recording 8 million views. Documentary hits included The Crash with 65 million views, The Dinosaurs Season 1 with 32 million, and Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model Season 1 with 22 million. In children’s programming, Ms. Rachel led with 69 million views across two seasons, followed by Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs with 36 million across four seasons, Salish & Jordan Matter with 29 million across two seasons, and Danny Go! Season 1 with 26 million views.
Netflix Q2 2026: Revenue Rises 13 Percent to $12.6 Billion
Netflix reported Q2 2026 revenue of $12.56 billion, an increase of 13.4 percent year-on-year from $11.08 billion in Q2 2025. Revenue growth was driven by membership growth, pricing changes, and higher advertising revenue, with all geographic regions delivering double-digit revenue growth.
Revenue reached $5.43 billion in the UCAN region, $4.03 billion in EMEA, $1.58 billion in Latin America, and $1.51 billion in Asia-Pacific. Operating income increased 11 percent to $4.19 billion, while the operating margin was 33.4 percent. For full-year 2026, Netflix narrowed its revenue guidance to $51.0 billion-$51.4 billion, representing 13 percent-14 percent annual growth, while maintaining an expected operating margin of 31.5 percent.
Netflix no longer reports quarterly subscriber additions or total subscriber numbers. The company said it is approaching an audience of 1 billion people globally.
Netflix continues to prioritize content, technology, advertising capabilities, and shareholder returns. The company expects approximately $12.5 billion in free cash flow for 2026 and plans an annual cash content spend-to-amortization ratio of around 1.1x. It forecasts advertising revenue of approximately $3 billion this year, supported by AI-powered advertising tools and programmatic capabilities.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
