Stranger Things, Marshals top 2025-26 multiplatform ratings
Netflix's Stranger Things finished the 2025-2026 TV season as the most-watched non-sports series in Nielsen's final 35-day multiplatform ratings, averaging 32.9 million viewers. CBS's Marshals led all broadcast shows with 19.3 million, underscoring how streaming hits and network procedurals still define the season's biggest audiences.
Key Takeaways
- Netflix's Stranger Things ranked No. 1 among non-sports series with 32.9 million 35-day multiplatform viewers.
- CBS's Marshals was the most-watched broadcast show at 19.3 million viewers.
- Netflix also placed His & Hers (25.6 million) and Sean Combs: The Reckoning (20.6 million) in the overall top three.
- Taylor Sheridan titles Landman, Marshals, and Dutton Ranch claimed three of the season's top ten slots.
- The measured season ran from Sept. 14, 2025, through May 24, 2026.
The numbers come from Nielsen's multiplatform 35-day linear and streaming ratings, reported exclusively by Variety. More than a month after the official end of the TV season, the final L+35 tallies are now locked in for programmers and streamers watching the year-end scoreboard.
For fans tracking every major premiere and finale, BlasterPost's Streaming & TV Alerts desk is following how these season-long charts reshape the 2026-27 slate.
Which shows finished highest overall?
Stranger Things stayed the season's most-watched non-sports series at 32.9 million viewers. Netflix followed with His & Hers at 25.6 million and Sean Combs: The Reckoning at 20.6 million.
Paramount+'s Landman then jumped to No. 4 with 19.8 million viewers after sitting at No. 5 in Variety's previous ranker. Marshals landed fifth overall at 19.3 million, while Paramount Network's Dutton Ranch was the only cable series in the top tier at 19.2 million.
How did Marshals and CBS perform on broadcast?
On the broadcast-only chart, Marshals led with 19.3 million multiplatform viewers, ahead of fellow CBS hit Tracker (16.3 million). CBS held four of the top five broadcast series, including top comedy Ghosts.
Four new CBS series—Marshals, Sheriff Country, Boston Blue, and CIA—also ranked as the season's top four new broadcast entries. ABC claimed the most-watched adults 18-49 series with High Potential and the demo's top comedy with Abbott Elementary.
Why do these final multiplatform ratings matter?
A single 35-day window now captures linear airings plus streaming catch-up, so season crowns no longer rest on live same-day ratings alone. Stranger Things' lead shows tentpole streaming finales can still dominate the year, while Marshals proves a new network drama can outpace established broadcast staples.
Taylor Sheridan's footprint was especially clear: three of his series sat in the overall top ten. That mix of Netflix event TV and Paramount/CBS franchise power is the clearest snapshot yet of who won the 2025-26 multiplatform race.