Nielsen lists 'The Pitt' and 'Bluey' top

Nielsen said “Stranger Things,” “Bluey” and “The Pitt” were the biggest U.S. streaming titles in the first half of 2026, putting a Netflix finale, a Disney+ children’s series and a Max drama at the top of its midyear rankings. The measurement company said the list covers viewing from Jan. 2026 through June 2026, defined in its report as the interval from Dec. 29, 2025, through June 28, 2026. WSB-TV and NBC’s Today highlighted the ranking on Aug. 5, noting that “Bluey” and “The Pitt” both landed in the top three. Nielsen published the full list a day earlier and identified “Stranger Things” as No. 1. ### Which show actually finished No. 1? Nielsen said “Stranger Things” led all streaming titles with 23.26 billion viewing minutes in the first half of 2026. “Bluey” finished second overall with 22.81 billion minutes, and “The Pitt” ranked third with 20.31 billion minutes, according to Nielsen’s chart. (nielsen.com) WSB-TV’s Aug. 5 item said “Stranger Things, Bluey, and The Pitt dominate Nielsen’s list of most-streamed shows for the first half of 2026.” Today’s video segment said Nielsen’s first-half rankings put “The Pitt” and “Bluey” in the top three and invited viewers to see which series took the top spot. ### What period does Nielsen’s list cover? (nielsen.com) Nielsen said the ranking is based on total viewing during the January 2026 to June 2026 interval, which it defined as Dec. 29, 2025, through June 28, 2026. The company said the titles were ranked by total viewing minutes among persons age 2 and older using its Streaming Content Ratings service. (wsbtv.com) Nielsen’s data center says its streaming Top 10 charts track overall programs, originals, acquired titles and movies in the United States, also ranked by total minutes viewed. The midyear list is a separate half-year snapshot rather than a single weekly chart. ### Why did those three titles stand out? Nielsen said “Stranger Things” set a new weekly record in its Streaming Top 10 with 8.65 billion viewing minutes during the week of Dec. 29, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026, the same week as the series finale. (nielsen.com) The company said streaming originals took three of the top 10 overall slots at midyear, compared with one in its 2025 half-year report. (nielsen.com) Nielsen said “Bluey” topped acquired titles, extending the show’s strong U.S. streaming run. The company also said five streaming titles cleared 20 billion minutes in the first six months of 2026, up from two in the comparable 2025 report. ### Where did films fit into the same report? (nielsen.com) WSB-TV said Nielsen’s film ranking for general audiences was led by “The Rip.” Nielsen’s midyear release separated program rankings from movie rankings, following the same category structure it uses in its regular streaming data. ### Where can readers track what comes next? (nielsen.com) Nielsen’s Top 10 data center continues to publish weekly U.S. streaming rankings across overall titles, originals, acquired programs and movies. The company’s Aug. 4 midyear release is the benchmark for the first half of 2026, and later weekly updates will show whether any second-half releases begin to challenge “Stranger Things,” “Bluey” and “The Pitt.” (nielsen.com) (wsbtv.com)