Below Leads Netflix English TV Rankings

The series secured the top spot on the platform after recording 21.2 million views in its second week.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Television

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The series Below maintained its momentum to rank first on the Netflix English TV list with 21.2 million views during its second week. Meanwhile, the fourth season of The Diplomat debuted with 4.8 million views.

Why it matters

The viewership figures reflect ongoing shifts in audience engagement as Netflix balances its content performance against broader corporate changes.

Below earned 21.2 million views in its second week compared to 17 million at its debut, while The Diplomat season four reached 4.8 million views in four days. Additionally, East of Eden recorded 6.2 million views and the film Animals saw 30.8 million views.

The players

Bela Bajaria

She is the former chief content officer at Netflix who was removed from her position.

Netflix

This is a global streaming entertainment service that publishes weekly viewership data and corporate earnings reports.

The details

The rankings arrived alongside Netflix announcing a 6% reduction in its workforce. In addition to the staffing changes, the company confirmed that chief content officer Bela Bajaria was removed from her position.

October 20, 2026: Netflix released its weekly Top 10 rankings.
October 20, 2026: Netflix released its third quarter earnings report.

Industry Dynamics

The shift in leadership and staffing at Netflix reflects the company's broader efforts to streamline operations while managing a competitive content library. This corporate transition mirrors trends among major streaming platforms seeking to balance profitability with hit-driven growth.

Subscribers can access the new episodes of Below and The Diplomat immediately through their existing Netflix plans. The corporate changes, including the workforce reduction, are not expected to interrupt the platform's current content release schedule.

The takeaway

The success of new series like Below remains a critical metric for Netflix as it navigates significant internal organizational shifts. Viewers can monitor the platform's weekly Top 10 list to see how emerging series sustain their popularity over time.