Squid Game has evaporated from everyone’s mind after its season 3 finale a month ago, but continuing to track the show on Netflix’s viewership charts, it’s becoming clear that this is in no way going to reach the highs of the previous two seasons. Here’s the data:
- Squid Game season 1 – 265 million views, 2.2 billion hours viewed (9 episodes)
- Squid Game season 2 – 192 million views, 1.38 billion hours viewed (7 episodes)
- Squid Game season 3 – 130 million views, 797 million hours viewed (6 episodes)
So, that’s half the viewers of season 1, and a little over a third of hours viewed, albeit some of that can be chalked up to the shorter season.
However, I think it’s worth comparing to season 2 as well, given that there were only six months between them, rather than the three-year gap between seasons 1 and 2. There is still more time to go in terms of counting views of season 3, as this chart tracks 90 days, but clearly it’s hugely frontloaded, so don’t expect many increases from here. If that’s the case, that’s losing 50-60 million viewers in half a year, indicating that many simply didn’t care to return for the finale of the series.
It is still the case that Squid Game is big enough, even with these declines, that it sits comfortably near the top 10 of all Netflix shows, English or non-English, across all its seasons. By views:
- Squid Game season 1 – 265 million views
- Wednesday season 1 – 252 million views
- Squid Game season 2 – 192 million views
- Adolescence – 142 million views
- Stranger Things season 4 – 140 million views
- Squid Game season 3 – 130 million views
- Dahmer – 115 million views
- Bridgerton season 1 – 113 million views
- The Queen’s Gambit – 112 million views
- Bridgerton season 3 – 106 million views
However, we are about to see the arrival of Wednesday season 2 and Stranger Things season 5 before the end of 2025, which I imagine will push at least season 3 down two more places.
All of this is ahead of the idea that Squid Game is likely going to get an American spin-off of the show, plus perhaps a spin-off that takes place between seasons 1 and 2. Its creator has also not fully ruled out sequel shows either. Sound silly? It’s not. Even with declines, you can see how important Squid Game remains to Netflix, even if it’s clear a lot of fans have lost interest, and few were satisfied by season 3 and its finale. They will press forward.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
