Thanks To Millions Of Viewers, These Became The Most Popular Streamed Titles Of 2022
Streaming platforms brought a lot of content to the table in 2022, resulting in millions of viewers enjoying popular TV shows and movies. From Stranger Things to Turning Red, there was no shortage of eyes-glued-to-the-tv titles.
Take a look at some of the most popular streamed content of 2022; you might find your next series to binge-watch if you haven't already!
House Of The Dragon
The highly-anticipated House of Dragon dropped on HBO in 2022, bringing Game of Thrones fans back to the fictional kingdom of Westeros.
Set around 200 years before the events of the original series, House of Dragon follows the story of House Targaryen as they sit on the Iron Throne and, eventually, self-destruct due to civil war.
Ozark
First premiering in 2017, Ozark quickly became one of the most popular series on Netflix. The series follows Marty Byrde as he and his family move to the Ozarks and fall into a money-laundering scheme gone horribly wrong.
Throughout its four-season run, Ozark has received a whopping 45 Primetime Emmy nominations.
The Sandman
Upon its 2022 release, The Sandman soured to the number one spot on Netflix's Top 10 list and clocked in 127.5 million hours viewed in its first week.
Based on the comics by Neil Gaiman, the show follows the Sandman, or Dream, as he travels across timelines to fix the damage his century-long captivity dished out into the world.
The Boys
From the first season to the newest third season, the Amazon Prime original series The Boys has only become more and more popular. The superhero series went from eight million total viewers to an increase of 89% when the second season came around.
Much to Amazon's delight, it became the first non-Netflix show to appear on the Nielsen Top 10 Streaming Shows list.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Disney+ gave Star Wars fans something they've wanted to see for a long time -- what happened to Obi-Wan after Order 66 was issued, and Anakin turned to the dark side?
Well, Obi-Wan Kenobi answered those questions and more, bringing in a young Princess Leia and Luke while giving fans an awe-worthy rematch between Kenobi and Darth Vader!
Stranger Things
In 2022, Stranger Things dropped its fourth season on Netflix. That meant people began re-watching the series, wanting to brush up on what the kids were doing in Hawkins.
The fourth season didn't disappoint, either. In fact, it broke a Netflix record at the time of its release, becoming the most-watched season in a week, clocking in at 335 million hours!
Hocus Pocus 2
Hocus Pocus lovers got a chance to see the Sanderson sisters once again in the sequel film Hocus Pocus 2. Bringing back the three witches was just the nostalgia a lot of people needed in their lives, as seen by the viewership numbers!
According to Disney+, the film is the streaming platform's most-viewed movie.
Wednesday
She's mysterious and spooky, creepy and kooky; she's Jenna Ortega in the title role of Wednesday. Upon its release, Wednesday debuted at number one on the streaming platform in a solid 83 countries.
As of 2022, Wednesday holds the record for most hours viewed in a single week for an English-language show, 341.2 million hours. It surpassed Stranger Things to earn the top spot.
The Watcher
Ryan Murphy has a knack for creating popular content, as seen with the "base don a true story" mini-series The Watcher.
Set in Westfield, New Jersey, the show follows the Brannock family as they begin to receive letters from an anonymous person saying they've been watching the house and knew everything about the family.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power
Amazon Prime spent millions of dollars producing The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and it did not disappoint fans. Traveling back to Middle Earth, viewers watched as new names and old characters began to realize the evil that was plaguing their lands.
Galadriel, for example, is dead set on finding Sauron. The series also follows the forging of the seven rings of power!
Turning Red
Disney went for it in 2022 and made a coming-of-age film revolving around a young girl named Mei who is torn between staying a young girl for her mother and going through puberty with her friends.
Of course, puberty for the women in the family also means turning into a giant red panda bear!
Virgin River
Based on the Robyn Carr novels of the same name, Virgin River quickly became a smash hit for Netflix when the first season aired back in 2019.
Now, in 2022, the series is three seasons deep, and there doesn't seem to be any plan to stop the romance and drama happening in the small Northern California town anytime soon!
Bridgerton
When Bridgerton was released on Netflix back in December 2020, it was the most-watched original series at the time. Following the story of the Bridgerton siblings, people couldn't get enough of the Regency-era love stories.
The good news for fans is, as of 2021, the series has been renewed not only for a third season but also a fourth.
Inventing Anna
Julia Garner takes on the role of con artist Anna Delvey in the Netflix mini-series Inventing Anna. Based on a true story, Anna Delvey managed to weasel herself into the high society of Manhattan's elite by pretending she's a German heiress, stealing their money in the process.
Critics praised Garner's performance as the title character.
Reacher
Starring Alan Ritchson as the title character, Reacher follows the military veteran as he returns to civilian life. Sadly, nothing is easy, and Jack Reacher is soon accused of murder and spirals down a rabbit hole of theories regarding a corrupt police force.
Reacher became the first Amazon project to reach the status of "the most streamed television series." It happened during the second week of February 2022.
Moon Knight
Following the story of the anti-hero Moon Knight, the Disney+ original series Moon Knight actually had the most in-demand series premiere in the United States.
With the viewership through the roof, it is no wonder this Marvel Universe series was one of the most popular released by Disney+ in 2022.
Better Call Saul
In a spin-off series of Breaking Bad, Bob Odenkirk reprises his role as crooked "criminal" lawyer Saul Goodman. The series follows Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer who eventually becomes the Saul Goodman fans know and love.
When the final season was released on AMC+ in 2022, the streaming service had its biggest day of new subscribers in its history. By midseason, AMC+ viewership for the series was up 61%.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Ryan Murphy's Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was on the Netflix Top 10 for weeks, as people couldn't get enough of the story about real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, played by Evan Peters.
By the second week of its release, 56 million households were recorded as having watched all ten episodes of the mini-series.
Lincoln Lawyer
In its first full week on Netflix's streaming platform, the Lincoln Lawyer became the most-watched English-language series around the world, clocking in at over 100 million hours viewed.
Based on Michael Connelly's novel The Brass Verdict, the show follows Los Angeles-based lawyer Mickey Haller as he takes on cases, working out of the back of his Lincoln Navigator.
Yellowstone
Each season of Yellowstone brings in more and more viewers, and for a good reason! The hard-hitting drama is anything but boring. While the season three premier brought in 7.6 million viewers, season five soared with a whopping 12.1 million viewers.
People just can't seem to get enough of the Dutton family and their lives on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
Cobra Kai
Starting off as nothing more than a YouTube series, Cobra Kai's popularity soared and eventually landed a spot in Netflix's catalog.
Bringing back together the old rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso as they each train a new generation of karate kids, the series is not only popular but has received critical acclaim for its writing, action sequences, acting, and more.
The Crown
People can't get enough of The Crown, a semi-fictionalized telling of the lives of the British royal family. One of the most expensive shows on television, the series has garnered numerous awards, winning twenty-one Primetime Emmy Awards for its first four seasons.
Now in the fifth season, it is still one of the most popular streamed series.
The Umbrella Academy
Based on the Gerald way comic series of the same name, the third season of The Umbrella Academy was released on Netflix in 2022 and was met with positive reviews (as did the first two seasons!).
The third season brought the Umbrellas together with the Sparrows, figuring out yet another doomsday situation in the form of an altered timeline.
Day Shift
Nothing like Jamie Foxx as a typical working man by day and a vampire hunter by night to get viewership up! Day Shift was just the right amount of insanity people needed in 2022.
As stated by Michael Ordoña of the Los Angeles Times, One would be tempted to call it the best horror comedy of 2022 so far, but it mixes so many genres it's more like 2022's best horror-buddy-cop-cartel-drama-bounty-hunter-martial-arts-action comedy (so far)."
Andor
Reprising his role as Rebel spy Cassian Andor from Rouge One, Diego Luna stuns in the Star Wars spin-off series Andor.
The series is set five years before the events of the film, following the story of numerous characters, including Andor, as he eventually winds up joining the Rebel Alliance.
Enola Holmes 2
Millie Bobby Brown reprised her role as Sherlock Holmes' younger sister Enola in the Netflix original movie Enola Holmes 2. This time, she is a detective in search of a missing girl, not her mother.
When the movie debuted on the streaming platform, it snagged the number one spot, garnering 64.08 million hours streamed!
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
A sequel film to the successful 2019 movie Knives Out, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery brings Daniel Craig back as private detective Benoit Blanc. His mission this time: figure out how Cassandra "Andi" Brand died.
Originally, Glass Onion had a theatrical release before appearing on Netflix. It holds a solid rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Disenchanted
Finally, in 2022, Enchanted fans got something they didn't know they needed, a sequel film, Disenchanted. The movie follows Giselle and her new family as they move from the city to suburbia. Of course, everything is not as it seems!
During the week of November 14, 2022, Disenchanted was the fourth most-streamed film across all streaming platforms.
Echoes
Mysterious, thrilling, and an all-around show that has plot twist after plot twist, people couldn't get enough of the Netflix original series Echoes.
Seriously, who is able to peel their eyes away from the TV when the main characters have been swapping lives their entire lives because they are identical twins?
The Kardashians
Apparently, viewers couldn't get enough drama, so they tuned in to the Kardashian family's new reality show The Kardashians on Hulu.
Following the lives of each female family member, The Kardashians was the tenth most-streamed series across all platforms in the United States in November of 2022, eventually jumping the ninth.
