Let’s face it: the streaming wars have made TV a spectator sport. We don’t merely watch shows anymore—now we keep score. Who’s on the rise? Who’s ruling the binge-watching marathons? Courtesy of Nielsen’s new figures, we finally have a handle on the top shows of 2025 so far, and the findings are at once expected and surprising. Here’s the list of the 10 shows that are totally dominating our screens this year.
10. Law & Order: SVU
They disappear. Others simply continue—and continue. SVU has turned into the go-to comfort watch for crime addicts. With over two decades of episodes waiting in the wings, it’s a sure bet if you need late-night ambiance or a full binge. Olivia Benson is no longer simply a detective; she’s a cultural phenomenon.
9. Squid Game
The dystopian thriller that shattered Netflix is continuing to attract viewers in droves. What’s crazy? It’s been able to achieve sky-high streaming minutes with only a few dozen episodes, whereas most of the rest of these shows have hundreds. Its blend of social commentary, raw tension, and iconically memorable set pieces (yep, that Red Light, Green Light instant) makes it watchable even after the hype wave has faded.
8. The Rookie
Procedurals are doing fabulously in the streaming age, and The Rookie has found its own niche. With a blend of police drama, soap-pasticity turns, and character-focused warmth, it’s simple to come in mid-season and feel completely at home—just the sort of thing viewers adore binging.
7. The Big Bang Theory
Turns out, nerd jokes never go out of fashion. Even several years after the show’s finale, Big Bang Theory continues to rake in massive ratings. It’s harmless, it’s witty, and it’s everywhere. Great for folding laundry, background watching, or simply re-living Sheldon’s antics.
6. SpongeBob SquarePants
Name another cartoon that’s been on forever and still dominates the charts. SpongeBob never dies. Parents pop it on for their children, children watch reruns over and over, and somewhere in the process, adults end up laughing too. With over three hundred episodes waiting in the wings, it’s not going anywhere on this list anytime soon.
5. Bob’s Burgers
The Belchers are perhaps the most charming animated family on television. Offbeat, down-to-earth, and side-splittingly funny, Bob’s Burgers has fans hooked season after season. A blend of heart and humor, it is infinitely bingeable—and with its extended lifespan, there’s plenty to keep marathoning.
4. Family Guy
Still irreverent, still chock-full of absurd cutaways, and still one of streaming’s guilty-pleasure standards. Family Guy has been on the air forever, but viewers aren’t yet bored. The Griffin family’s frenetic energy secures it a place on these lists forevermore.
3. NCIS
Think no one’s paying attention to NCIS? Think again. This behemoth has so large an episode number that it nearly challenges you to binge for weeks on end. People love it because it’s formulaic in the best sense—like television comfort food that you know just how to indulge in.
2. Grey’s Anatomy
The never-coding-blue medical drama. Grey’s Anatomy continues to live on streaming services, with its combination of heartbreak, romantic pandemonium, and dramatic operations. Twenty seasons on, and still it keeps drawing audiences back in for more emotional damage (the good kind).
1. Bluey
And the surprise champion? Bluey. The Australian children’s series has taken over the US streaming landscape, clocking over 25 billion minutes viewed. Children watch episodes repeatedly, nonstop, parents willingly sit through them, and Disney+ is reaping major rewards. Warm, humorous, and infinitely replayable, Bluey demonstrates that kids’ content is a streaming beast.
There’s a trend here. Children’s series (Bluey, SpongeBob, Bob’s Burgers) reign supreme because kids repeat-watch—sometimes dozens of times. Procedurals (SVU, NCIS, The Rookie) succeed due to their ginormous back catalogs and convenient drop-in storytelling. And adult animation (Family Guy, Big Bang Theory) continues to accumulate nostalgia points and background play.
But there’s also the platform play. Disney+ is flexing with Bluey leading the charge, Netflix continues to drive the binge economy through imports like Squid Game and NCIS, and YouTube is working behind the scenes, revolutionizing the game by consuming 12% of U.S. streaming minutes—surpassing even Netflix in raw hours consumed.
Streaming isn’t just about what’s new. It’s about what’s reliable, rewatchable, and repeatable. Whether you’re crying through another Grey’s Anatomy arc, zoning out with SVU, or watching Bluey for the hundredth time with your kid, you’re helping shape this new golden era of TV.