Considering the hype around Squid Game
’s second season, it seemed that the Netflix juggernaut was guaranteed to win every chart battle that it came up against in its first weeks on release. However, while the new seven episodes that make up Season 2 have been binge-watched millions of times by fans, the South Korean phenomenon could not see off a surprising challenge to be at the top of the year’s first streaming chart. Instead, the mighty Taylor Sheridan
rode in on his steed to take top spot with his latest series, Landman
.
While Sheridan’s Yellowstone finale drew plenty of criticism from longtime fans, that doesn’t mean that people have abandoned his ridiculously large universe of TV shows at Paramount+. From Tulsa King to Lioness, Sheridan is a dominant force on TV right now, and the Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore-starring Landman is just his newest victory.
The data for the first chart of 2025 revealed by Samba TV (as per The Wrap)showed that Squid Game’s arrival on December 26 may have ended up being the reason it was pushed out by Landman for the chart beginning December 30. Squid Game was reportedly watched by 2.2 million U.S. households in its first four days – an incredible achievement for any show. However, Landman, which debuted back in November and has episodes released in a weekly format, surpassed the Netflix show between December 30 and January 5. This is probably not surprising with Landman having racked up some decent reviews, and heading towards its season final this week.
Has ‘Squid Game’ Lost Its Edge?

The chart for the first week of the year does not tell the whole story about the popularity of these shows in any kind of directly comparable way. The Top 10 for the week was mostly dominated by Netflix – as always – with Harlan Coben’s new show Missing You taking third place, followed by festive action movie Carry-On, and the sixth season Virgin River rounded out the Top five. At number nine on the list, was Squid Game Season 1, which saw a resurgence in interest as the new season arrived.
The biggest thing to consider when looking at the success of Landman is that the series’ weekly episodes mean that there are newcomers to the story who are constantly binging previous episodes before catching up with the latest installment. Squid Game’s binge-model release allowed viewers to watch the entire season in a few hours on the day of its release, which many did to avoid the numerous spoilers that instantly filled the internet. For that reason, the longevity of a show like Landman – which also gained a strong boost from the attention surrounding Yellowstone’s ending – will usually always outpace a one-and-done full season drop like Netflix has done with Squid Game.

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Squid Game is certainly no loser in this fight, as Season 2 is likely to break several records set by its predecessor, and with Season 3 expected to arrive later this year, Netflix will certainly have the last laugh. However, Sherdian’s dominance on Paramount+ is something that will have other streamers checking over their shoulders to see if the sound of oil drills and hooves is a signal the writer/director is coming for them again with his next offering. With several Yellowstone projects reportedly in development, and new seasons of Tulsa King and Lioness on the cards, a betting man would be laying down money on this not being the only upset Sheridan is responsible for this year.

Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. Based on the notable 11-part podcast “Boomtown,” the series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.

Release Date

November 17, 2024

Cast

Billy Bob Thornton
, Ali Larter
, Jacob Lofland
, Kayla Wallace
, Mark Collie
, James Jordan
, Demi Moore
, Jon Hamm
, Colm Feore
, Robyn Lively
, Drake Rodger
, Brook Sill
, K.C. Clyde
, Rosemary Dominguez
, Mustafa Speaks
, J.R. Villarreal
, Octavio Rodriguez
, Michael Pena
, Emilio Rivera
, Alex Meraz
, Alejandro Akara

Expand

In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.

Release Date

September 17, 2021

Cast

Wi Ha-joon
, Anupam Tripathi
, Oh Yeong-su
, Heo Sung-tae
, Park Hae-soo
, Jung Ho-yeon
, Lee Jung-jae
, Kim Joo-ryoung