Netflix outage disrupts ‘Stranger Things’ finale premiere, users report streaming website as down

Netflix suffered a brief but widespread outage during the highly anticipated premiere of the Stranger Things finale, leaving thousands of viewers across the United States unable to stream the episode.

According to outage-tracking platform DownDetector, users reported a range of issues, including login failures and a complete inability to stream content. Data from the platform indicated that 55 per cent of complaints related to video streaming problems, 36 per cent to server connection issues, and 9 per cent to login failures.

The disruption quickly prompted a wave of posts on X (formerly Twitter), with hashtags such as #NetflixDown and #StrangerThings trending as fans expressed frustration over the timing of the outage.

A report from Reuters later confirmed that the service had been fully restored. In an email to the news agency, Netflix said: “Some members briefly experienced an issue streaming on TV devices, but service recovered for all accounts within five minutes.”

This is not the first time Netflix has faced downtime during major releases. The platform has previously encountered outages during high-profile events, including the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul boxing match and the live-streamed reality series Love is Blind.