Netflix reveals which shows and movies were binged the most in 2018

Netflix famously keeps data about viewership and other user behaviors close to the vest, often to the consternation of the Hollywood and other partners that the company works with. This means that most of what you read in terms of how various types of content is faring on the service is really just informed guesswork.

Except in limited cases, like today, Netflix decides to give everyone a peek inside its secretive operation. Granted, it’s a small and extremely limited peek, but a look nonetheless that we didn’t have before.

The streaming giant has decided to show off which of its original TV shows and movies were most-binged by users in 2018. It was a year that gave us everything from Netflix’s rebooted Queer Eye to the much-talked about Haunting of Hill House and uber-binged teen rom-coms like To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Important to note: The thing that makes the lists below so limiting is that Netflix is only telling us which of its own properties users rewatched the most. Certainly, these rankings would change if you added in, say, shows that Netflix licenses, like The Office (which is generally understood based on independent measurement estimates to be one of its biggest drivers of viewership hours), as well as Friends, which you may have seen in recent days that Netflix paid a reported $100 million to keep on its platform through next year.

A few other things to note about the shows and movies below. The original series listed were all released between January 1st and November 28th and are ranked according to the highest average watch time per viewing session, based on US viewing data. Netflix also says that these rankings, which measure binge-ability, have no relation to overall viewing.

Without further ado, here are the top Netflix original movies released in 2018. According to Netflix, almost half of viewers rewatched the top two at least once:

1. The Kissing Booth
2. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
3. Roxanne Roxanne

The Netflix original series with the highest average viewing time in the US included:

1. On My Block
2. Making a Murderer: Part 2
3. 13 Reasons Why: Season 2
4. Last Chance U: INDY
5. Bodyguard
6. Fastest Car
7. The Haunting of Hill House
8. Anne with an E: Season 2
9. Insatiable
10. Orange Is the New Black: Season 6

Finally, for an extra bit of fun, Netflix also tallied up data on the stars of its original productions to show which of them saw the largest bump in Instagram followers this year. They include:

1. The Fab Five (Queer Eye)
2. Lana Condor (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before)
3. Joel Courtney (The Kissing Booth)
4. Miguel Herrán (Elite / La Casa de Papel)
5. Jaime Lorente Lopez (Elite / La Casa de Papel)
6. Maria Pedraza (Elite / La Casa de Papel)
7. Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Sierra Burgess is a Loser)
8. Joey King (The Kissing Booth)
9. Hannah Gadsby (Nanette)
10. Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)