Netflix sets record for viewing hours in first half of year; 'Knokke off' and 'Wil' also popular

Netflix has achieved a record number of viewing hours in the first half of the current year, marking the longest period subscribers have spent watching films and series on the platform during the initial six months of any year. The streaming giant announced that viewers collectively watched over 97 billion hours.

Globally, the film 'War Machine' emerged as the most-watched, garnering 147 million views. It was followed by 'The Rip' with 136 million views and 'Swapped' with 131 million views. The animated film 'KPop Demon Hunters,' released in June of the previous year, also continued to perform well, attracting 130 million views in the first half of this year.

In the realm of series, 'His & Hers' secured the top spot with 104 million views. The fourth season of 'Bridgerton' closely followed with 100 million views. 'I Will Find You' ranked third, accumulating 64 million views.

Belgian productions also saw considerable success. 'Knokke off' (known internationally as 'High Tides') particularly stood out. Its third season, released earlier this year, was viewed 5.5 million times, placing it at 365th on the global rankings. Additionally, Tim Mielants' film 'Wil,' which centers on a police officer during World War II, performed excellently with 700,000 viewers in the first half of the year, following its cinema release in Belgium in 2023.

Notably, more than a third of all content viewed on Netflix was non-English. A Netflix report indicates that these titles primarily originate from South Korea, Japan, and Spain.