TV fanatics may have spent plenty time venting frustration as they waited for the latest season of their favorite show to drop, but this might not necessarily be a bad thing, according to Ampere Analysis.

New research from the firm has found that what it terms the “Stranger Things effect” was by no means imagined, with the average gap between seasons of scripted originals on major platforms almost doubling from 12 months in 2020 to 21 months in 2025.

Ampere singled out the Duffer Brothers’ hit franchise, one of Netflix’s biggest shows of all time, which has become known for lengthy gaps between seasons alongside some of the most gargantuan marketing blitzes in the history of entertainment. It also spotlighted another Netflix show Wednesday as part of this trend, along with Apple TV tentpole Severance.

The average gap between seasons of scripted originals was just 10 months a decade ago, which slowly increased over the 10-year period, rising the most during the first year of the pandemic when it shot up from 12 to 16, and from 2023 to 2024 during the U.S. labor strikes, when it went from 17 to 21. Last year it plateaued for the first time at 21.

Regardless of fan ire, Ampere feels the tactic works, flagging that shows with gaps of more than 30 months between seasons have achieved the highest engagement in the premiere month of the new season. Viewing of Stranger Things rose by 300% in H2 2025 ahead of the release of its fifth and final season, Ampere said, with particularly strong viewing of Season 1 suggesting new viewers were discovering the series and existing fans were revisiting earlier episodes.

Ampere did have a word of warning, pointing out that despite strong engagement around returning shows, long gaps create risk. In Q1 2026 in the U.S., 54% of respondents to an Ampere survey said they would be likely to cancel a subscription if they were not using it often enough.

Senior analyst Christen Tamisin said “streamers need to balance blockbuster production timelines against a steady flow of content.” “Extended gaps may generate anticipation around flagship titles, but they can also encourage audiences to cancel subscriptions and return only when major shows are back on screen,” she added.