As Game of Thrones season 7 recedes into the past, so does the massive amount of social media buzz it generated, and other shows are eager to fill the gap. According to 4C Insights, a media science and data technology firm, season 2 of Netflix’s Stranger Things is beginning to take some of Game of Thrones’ social media candy. And not just the candy corn, either — the good stuff, too, like full-sized 3 Musketeers bars.
As reported by Advanced Television, 4C Insights’ findings — which include data from social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram — show that Stranger Things season 2 has pulled in “three quarters of a million engagements” from across the internet. To be specific, the number of social media engagements for the Netflix hit ballooned from 148,063 the night before the season 2 premiere (October 26) to 750,409 the day it was released. In comparison, Game of Thrones saw 1,114,152 engagements during its season 7 premiere back in July. Meanwhile, “positive sentiment” for Stranger Things season 2 clocked in at 68%, nearly matching the numbers for Game of Thrones season 7 at the time it premiered. The number of engagements for Stranger Things tapered off to 181,749 two days after the release, but positive sentiment for the show had increased from 67% to 72%.
There’s an element of apples-vs-oranges here given the very different ways HBO and Netflix roll out new releases: all nine episodes of Stranger Things season 2 debuted on October 27, while new episodes of Game of Thrones season 7 came one at a time over a period of seven weeks. But comparing the entirety of Stranger Things season 2 to the Game of Thrones season 7 premiere, Stranger Things acquitted itself very well, particularly for a show that young.
Stranger Things season 2 is available to stream now on Netflix, while Game of Thrones probably won’t return for season 8 until after a third season of Stranger Things has aired. Oh god, we’re in the Upside Down, aren’t we?
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