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The biggest shows depend on how you measure popularity. Nielsen’s latest accessible U.S. cross-service chart ranks viewing time for Sept. 14–20, 2026: Neagley, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story and Reacher led. Netflix’s newer chart covers Netflix viewing only, while a separate Reelgood index estimates how broadly popular titles are spread across services.
What topped streaming by measured viewing time?
Nielsen’s U.S. chart for Sept. 14–20, 2026 ranks programs by total minutes viewed among people ages 2 and older. Its viewing data come from television use measured through the Nielsen National TV Panel. Nielsen includes streaming viewing beyond the providers named beside each program, so the chart is a cross-platform measure, not a complete census of every viewer, device or country. See Nielsen’s chart and methodology.
| Rank | Show | Provider(s) listed by Nielsen | U.S. viewing, Sept. 14–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neagley | Prime Video | 1,776 million minutes |
| 2 | Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story | Netflix | 1,481 million minutes |
| 3 | Reacher | Prime Video | 1,420 million minutes |
| Also in Nielsen’s top ten | The Big Bang Theory | HBO Max | Not stated in the cited chart summary |
| Also in Nielsen’s top ten | Lioness | Paramount+ | Not stated in the cited chart summary |
| Also in Nielsen’s top ten | Ted Lasso | Apple TV | Not stated in the cited chart summary |
| Also in Nielsen’s top ten | Major Crimes | Netflix and Pluto TV | Not stated in the cited chart summary |
| Also in Nielsen’s top ten | Bluey | Disney+ | Not stated in the cited chart summary |
| Also in Nielsen’s top ten | SpongeBob SquarePants | Paramount+ | Not stated in the cited chart summary |
| Also in Nielsen’s top ten | Grey’s Anatomy | Hulu and Netflix | Not stated in the cited chart summary |
The top three indicate where measured attention concentrated during that particular week; the rest of the top ten spans drama, comedy, animation and long-running catalog series. Nielsen lists provider availability as shown in its chart, but local access can vary.
What is popular on Netflix right now?
Netflix’s official U.S. weekly TV Top 10 for Sept. 28–Oct. 4, 2026, was led by A Different World, followed by East of Eden and Wonka’s The Golden Ticket. It also included The Great British Baking Show, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Murder in a Small Town, Raw: 2026, Ms. Rachel, Danny Go! and LEGO ONE PIECE. This is a Netflix-only weekly ranking, not a comparison against other services. View Netflix’s U.S. weekly TV chart.
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Which services have the broadest selection of popular titles?
Reelgood’s October 2026 U.S. Streaming Service Popularity Index, updated Oct. 1 using the Aug. 24–Sept. 24 window, ranked Netflix first at 9.88, Prime Video second at 9.15, Hulu third at 8.55, Fubo fourth at 8.17 and HBO Max fifth at 5.77. Reelgood calculates the index from the average number of titles a service carries among its U.S. Top 100 popular movies and Top 100 popular shows, based on title popularity among Reelgood app users over a trailing 30-day window. The 0–10 scores indicate breadth of popular catalog titles in that audience, not audience share, minutes watched or a service’s single biggest hit. Read Reelgood’s index and methodology.
What new shows arrived this week?
A release guide published Oct. 5 listed two notable premieres for the Oct. 5–11 week. Carrie was scheduled for Prime Video as an eight-episode release on Oct. 7; Below was scheduled for Netflix as a six-episode release on Oct. 8. The guide also listed NCIS: New York on CBS and next day on Paramount+. These are release details reported by the guide, not popularity rankings; check the service for current availability. See the Oct. 5–11 release guide.
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How to use these rankings to choose a show
- For measured viewing attention: Start with Nielsen’s Sept. 14–20 top three; the figures reflect total U.S. minutes watched in that week.
- For Netflix’s current in-service signal: Use its Sept. 28–Oct. 4 Top 10, recognizing that it ranks Netflix titles against one another only.
- For service breadth: Reelgood’s October index can help identify services carrying many titles popular with its app audience, but it cannot tell you which one show is most watched nationally.
- For a fresh premiere: The Oct. 5–11 guide points to Carrie and Below; release dates are not proof of popularity.
The lists describe different periods and different kinds of evidence. A title’s placement can change from week to week, and a show may appear under more than one provider when distribution is shared. Confirm the service’s current catalog in your region before starting.
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