Longer waits between TV series seasons: for or against?

According to a recent study by the firm Ampere, the average wait time between two seasons of an original series is getting longer and longer. While it was 12 months in 2020, it has practically doubled, reaching 21 months by 2025. Demand for polished content like Stranger Things has increased, impacting production times in the process. While the wait increases the risk of subscribers leaving a platform, it also boosts audience engagement. The highest levels of engagement were observed after wait times of more than 30 months. Series like Severance and Wednesday have thus generated twice the average engagement, despite the patience required between seasons.

+300% increase in viewership for previous seasons of Stranger Things££££

What's more, viewers are revisiting previous seasons when there's nothing new to watch. In anticipation of the arrival of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, viewership for previous seasons climbed by 300% in the second half of 2025.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2026 in the United States, 54% of respondents said they were ready to cancel their subscriptions if they didn't use them enough. These delays therefore push fans to leave and then resubscribe only for the duration of a new season. “Many original series build highly engaged audiences that remain loyal despite increasingly long gaps between seasons,” says Christen Tamisin, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis. “However, streaming platforms must strike a balance between the production timelines of blockbuster shows and a steady stream of content. Extended intervals can generate anticipation around flagship titles, but they can also lead viewers to cancel their subscriptions and only return when the big shows are back on screen.”