Netflix experienced a brief outage shortly after releasing the first episodes of Stranger Things series five, leaving some viewers unable to stream the highly anticipated final season. The streaming service froze within minutes of the launch, causing frustration among fans who took to social media to report issues.
According to Downdetector, over 14,000 outage reports were logged in the US, while viewers in India also encountered connection errors, with 200 reports at the peak. Netflix confirmed the issue, stating: '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 technical difficulties during major events. Previous outages occurred during the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul boxing match and a live reunion for Love is Blind in 2024. Similarly, the release of the final two episodes of Stranger Things season four in 2022 also caused a brief disruption.
Series co-creator Ross Duffer posted on Instagram that Netflix had 'increased bandwidth by 30% to avoid a crash.' The new season, which debuted its first four episodes on Wednesday, has been three years in the making and promises to feature 'the most violent death of any season,' according to the Duffer brothers.
Stranger Things, set in the 1980s, follows the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, after a young girl with psychokinetic abilities opens a gateway to a dimension called the Upside Down. The final season includes a time jump to account for the aging of its young cast, including Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, who have grown up since the series began nearly a decade ago.
