As Stranger Things prepares for its New Year’s Eve finale, the sheer influence it has had over the last nine years stands out. Volume 1 of the final season is smashing records on Netflix in terms of viewership, going on to post Netflix’s biggest opening week ever for an English-language series. With Volume 2 just days away, the show has already crossed 1.2 billion total views on the platform.
This metric, calculated by total hours watched divided by cumulative runtime, solidifies its place as the undisputed heavyweight of English-language streaming. Moreover, the series has charted in the Top 10 in all 93 countries Netflix tracks, becoming the first show to have four (and then five) seasons in the global Top 10 simultaneously.
According to multiple online reports, Stranger Things has also functioned as a massive stimulus package for the US economy. Since 2016, the production has contributed $1.4 billion to the national GDP and created over 8,000 production jobs.
Not only this, but any product, element, or soundtrack that appears on the show gains massive global recognition and prominence. Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill became a Top 10 hit 38 years after its release, following Season 4.
Following Season 5’s debut, Spotify reported a 1,250% increase in streams for Diana Ross’s Upside Down and a 625% jump for The Chordettes’ Mr. Sandman.
In 2017, Kellogg’s reported 14% growth thanks to Eleven’s obsession with Eggo waffles. Furthermore, interest in the tabletop RPG has surged by 673% since the show’s debut, proving that being a nerd is now big business.
As the finale, The Rightside Up, prepares for its simultaneous release on Netflix and in theatres (US and Canada) this New Year’s Eve, Stranger Things leaves behind a legacy measured not just in awards (70 and counting), but in the very fabric of the modern economy. Stay tuned for more updates.