Outer Banks: Final Season Viewership Drops, Still Netflix’s Most-Watched Series

In the first week of availability (actually four days, since it released on August 20), the fifth and final season of Outer Banks racked up 9.4 million views on Netflix. It is the highest figure recorded in the week August 17–23, 2026, but down 40% from the debut of the preceding season, when views stood at 15.5 million. In that case the streaming service had split the episodes into two parts, with the second part watched for a total of 8.6 million views, a result that was nevertheless slightly lower.

The decline in Outer Banks’ audience is not unexpected, given that Netflix has been facing audience-retention challenges across most of its series for some time, including several of its most popular titles. Nevertheless, for the teen drama centered on the clash between two groups of teenagers in search of a lost treasure, it marks the fourth consecutive number-one debut and a similarly solid result, which bodes well for a possible continuation with a spin-off.

Notable is the performance of the comedy Tires, which achieved its best-ever placement, fifth in the Top 10 English-language shows, with an additional 2.8 million views, also its best-ever result. Even more interesting is the rise of the Australian period drama My Brilliant Career. In its second week of availability, views reached 4.7 million, up 51% compared to the launch. Based on Miles Franklin’s book, the drama follows the determined aspiring writer Sybylla Melvyn as she leaves her wealthy grandmother and finds herself torn between ambition and love. For the already renewed A Splendid Mistake, however, it took third place in the Top 10 English-language shows with 4.3 million views in the third week of availability (further down after the 9 and 8.7 million in the previous weeks).

Top 10 most watched shows on Netflix from August 17 to 23, 2026

1. Outer Banks, Season 5 (9.4 million)
2. Blood Sacrifice, Season 1 (7 million)
3. My Brilliant Career, Season 1 (4.7 million)
4. A Splendid Mistake, Season 3 (4.3 million)
5. Our Sticky Love, Miniseries (3.7 million)
6. Umthetho, Season 1 (3.5 million)
7. Conversations with a Killer: The Manson Case, Season 1 (3.1 million)
8. Tires, Season 3 (2.8 million)
9. Raw, 2026 (2.7 million)
10. Spooky in Love, Miniseries (2.7 million)

Top 10 English-language shows on Netflix from August 17 to 23, 2026

1. Outer Banks, Season 5 (9.4 million)
2. My Brilliant Career, Season 1 (4.7 million)
3. A Splendid Mistake, Season 3 (4.3 million)
4. Conversations with a Killer: The Manson Case, Season 1 (3.1 million)
5. Tires, Season 3 (2.8 million)
6. Raw, 2026 (2.7 million)
7. Wherever You Are, Miniseries (2.5 million)
8. SEAL Team, Season 1 (2.3 million)
9. Danny Go!, Season 1 (2 million)
10. The Idaho Murders: Nightmare at College, Season 1 (1.8 million)

Top 10 foreign-language shows on Netflix from August 17 to 23, 2026

1. Blood Sacrifice, Season 1 (7 million)
2. Our Sticky Love, Miniseries (3.7 million)
3. Umthetho, Season 1 (3.5 million)
4. Spooky in Love, Miniseries (2.7 million)
5. Moria, Season 1 (2.2 million)
6. Operation Safed Sagar – High-Altitude Mission, Season 1 (2 million)
7. Badly in Love, Season 2 (1.9 million)
8. The Other Father, Season 1 (1.3 million)
9. The Apartment Job, Miniseries (1.1 million)
10. True Lessons, Miniseries (1.1 million)