In 2025, returning shows dominated the ranks, with Squid Game season three leading overall engagement. Only one brand new title made it onto the list of the top 20 most engaging shows, It: Welcome to Derry, and of note it is an extension of a preexisting franchise.
Looking at the new top shows, strikingly 55% of them are based on known / existing IP, continuing the trend we’ve observed over the past few years. And finally, we continue to see incredibly strong volumes of engagement with cancelled and concluded shows. Older titles such as Breaking Bad, Modern Family and The Walking Dead would rank among the top 20 shows overall if concluded shows were to be included.
From Gilmore Girls’ 25th celebrations and events to Seinfeld anniversary callouts, fandoms keep these worlds present through live gatherings and retrospectives.
Whether it’s Walter’s descent, Jesse/Hank’s journeys, Penny’s grounding influence, Doug/Carrie hijinks, or Lorelai/Rory dynamics, commentary centers on people over plots, with heavy analysis and empathy or critique.
Young Sheldon linkage, Better Call Saul mentions, and cross-network cameos sustain engagement and invite new entry points into older IP.
Short-form edits, behind-the-scenes laughs, and steady merch plugs keep these shows circulating in feeds and storefronts alike.
Fans continue to hash out Luke/Lorelai, Penny/Leonard milestones, Jerry/Elaine one-offs, and Breaking Bad’s betrayals, reflecting how romance and loyalty debates remain evergreen.
A thread frames Seinfeld as validating analysis over feelings—fans joke it “normalizes” emotional detachment and moral neutrality, turning neurosis into comfort viewing.
Lively debates revisit “it was always going to be Luke,” Rory’s relationships (Jess/Logan), and her Yale hiatus, showing how romantic arcs still spark passionate reappraisals.
Viral bloopers (e.g., Sheldon/Amy cracking up) and factoids (the elevator staying broken as a running joke) fuel meta-fandom.
Fans note that allowed on-set improvisation amplified Charlie’s spontaneous, self-sabotaging charm, making the womanizing persona feel more “lived-in” on screen.
A steady thread connects Arthur Spooner with Frank Costanza—memes and tags bridge both fandoms, spotlighting Stiller as a comedic throughline.
A thread frames Seinfeld as validating analysis over feelings—fans joke it “normalizes” emotional detachment and moral neutrality, turning neurosis into comfort viewing.
If 2024 belonged to Wicked, 2025 was all KPop Demon Hunters -- and it wasn't close. The Netflix film generated over 112 billion engagements, a staggering figure that eclipsed every other movie on the list (90% franchises) by nearly 10x. Also notable was the success of The Minecraft Movie which brought the game franchise to the big screen for the first time.
With more visibility into platform level contribution and trends, for the first time we can clearly see how different communities gravitate toward different genres. Action & Adventure drives outsized engagement on YouTube while Documentary and Lifestyle resonates most with Instagram users. Wikipedia visitors lean toward reading up on their favorite Reality and Comedy shows.
So what made KPop Demon Hunters the breakout of 2025? The animated hit feature is an amazing case study in how a franchise is born.
With most films seeing measurable levels of anticipatory engagement before release, for KPop Demon Hunters we see the engagement spike after its streaming release on Netflix. Once word started to spread about audiences loving the new movie, engagement seemed to take on a life of its own and remarkably stayed at unprecedented high levels, bucking the normal trend of decline over the first two months post release. The music for the film helped sustain the surge, with the release of the soundtrack and HUNTR/X’s ‘Golden’ hitting the #1 Billboard spot on Day 27. A theatrical release on Day 65 reignited the conversation, and a Tonight Show performance on Day 110 kept the momentum alive well past the typical window. With multiple theatrical runs in the rearview, the a sequel announcement on Day 140 felt like an inevitability— the attention curve started to rebound once again.
Diesel Labs publishes a yearly wrap-up report that comprehensively reviews audience engagement patterns and discourse to better understand industry trends. This report includes top content engagement ranks, media company trends, title-level anticipation, social platform insights as well as spotlights on key topics.
The analysis is comprised of audience engagement data from across the social and video media spectrum including:
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
X (Twitter)
YouTube
Wikipedia
Bluesky
Engagement metrics include video views, likes, posts, comments and other active statistics from the platforms listed above (unless otherwise stated). Certain data visuals will clearly indicate where they include / exclude engagements (such as video views) to help support understanding of the findings.
The data represents engagement from January 1st to December 31st, 2025 and illuminates trends and narratives from the year in media.
Diesel Labs is an audience intelligence company that delivers curated data and analytics for the modern media & marketing landscape. Diesel’s AI and ML-infused technology organizes and analyzes billions of consumer data points from across the major social & video platforms daily. This powerful data set drives predictive modeling, advanced analytics, and content strategy efforts.