Summary
In May 2026, Netflix’s Spanish top 10 shows chart was dominated by new releases, with nine of ten titles from 2026. Amazon Prime Video’s chart carried three different seasons of the same title, The Boys, across three of its ten slots. Four of Disney+'s ten titles were 2026 releases. HBO Max's top 10 was driven by the final seasons of Euphoria and Hacks alongside four older seasons of returning shows.
"May made the case for two different franchise strategies. The Boys' final season delivered Amazon's strongest single performance of the month, but it will be difficult for Prime Video to fill the void created by the conclusion of one of the platform’s biggest titles. This is a challenge HBO Max will also face, with Euphoria's finale topping its chart as the show comes to an end.
Netflix's approach with Berlín y la dama del armiño points to an answer: rather than let La Casa de Papel’s audience drift once the original ended, a well-executed spin-off can carry that interest forward and still land the #1 spot." - Samuel Vahdati, Data Analyst
1. Netflix: Fresh Releases and Local IP Driving Spanish Engagement
Netflix’s May 2026 strategy in Spain clearly favored recency over legacy, with new releases capturing nine out of the top ten slots. Drama anchored the chart as the dominant genre, appearing on six titles: Berlín y la dama del armiño, Legends, Man on Fire, Nemesis, and both seasons of Kastanjemanden.
The standout performer was the Spanish production Berlín y la dama del armiño, securing the chart's highest individual footprint at 2.5M reach. As a spin-off of a massive global IP (La Casa de Papel), its dominant performance alongside Machos Alfa (1.0M reach) showed that in May 2026 hyper-local, recognizable franchises delivered the highest audience engagement in the Spanish market.
While 2026 releases dominated, Nordic noir Kastanjemanden demonstrated a textbook example of catalogue resurgence; the premiere of Season 2 (0.9M reach) successfully pulled its 2021 debut season back into the top 10 (0.8M reach), showcasing how fresh premiering content effectively drives viewer catch-up behavior for archived assets.
2. Amazon Prime Video: The Boys Triggeres a Massive Halo Effect in Spain
Amazon Prime Video’s May 2026 chart in Spain highlights the massive power of established franchise IP, with eight of the top ten slots captured by 2026 releases. The Boys dominated the platform's footprint, remarkably occupying three separate slots simultaneously; the premiere of the fifth and final season led the entire chart with 1.7M reach, triggering a clear "halo effect" that pulled both Season 4 (0.4M) and the original 2019 Season 1 (0.4M) back into the top ten.
Local Spanish productions proved highly competitive against major global releases, as La Casa de los Espíritus achieved a strong 1.0M reach to match the launch of the high-profile global IP Spider-Noir, while the local comedy Cochinas secured a solid 0.8M reach. While The Boys single-handedly anchored the dark comedy category, drama remained the most frequent genre on the chart, filling six of the ten positions with high-concept titles like Off Campus (1.3M) and returning series like Citadel Season 2 (0.7M) driving substantial individual engagement.
3. Disney+: Daredevil, Local Drama, and Library Hits Lead the May Chart
Disney+’s May 2026 performance in Spain highlights a balanced mix of immediate blockbuster impact and long-tail library performance, with four of the top ten positions held by 2026 releases. The premiere of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 spearheaded the chart, taking the #1 spot with 0.7M reach and triggering a clear catch-up effect for its predecessor, pulling Season 1 (2025) back into the top ten at 0.3M reach.
Local content proved highly competitive as two Spanish productions, the drama La novia gitana Season 1 (0.5M reach) and the unscripted reality series Servicio secreto x Chicote (0.4M reach), secured prominent positions on the chart. Meanwhile, drama remained the dominant format across five slots, while long-running franchise staples like Grey's Anatomy Season 22 (0.3M), The Simpsons Season 37 (0.3M), and Bluey Season 1 (0.3M) continued to demonstrate their enduring library value by anchoring the lower half of the chart.
4. HBO Max: Inside the May 2026 Chart
HBO Max's top 10 in May was built around two titles ending their runs this month: the third and final season of Euphoria and the fifth and final season of Hacks. Six of the ten titles were 2026 releases. The remaining four were older seasons of shows already back with new 2026 instalments elsewhere on the same chart: Euphoria’s first two seasons, The Pitt’s first season, and From’s third season. Only one title, Ravalear, was a Spanish production.
The data reveals intense catch-up binging behaviors, as fresh 2026 installments pulled four historical seasons back into the rankings simultaneously. The Euphoria finale wave successfully drove viewers back to Season 2 (0.4M reach) and Season 1 (0.4M reach), a trend mirrored by the sci-fi horror From Season 4 (1.4M reach) lifting its previous third season (0.3M reach), and The Pitt Season 2 (0.6M reach) carrying its 2025 debut (0.4M reach). Amid these global heavyweights, localized content still carved out a clear footprint, with the Spanish thriller Ravalejar Season 1 capturing a distinct audience at 0.5M reach.
5. Where Spain’s four platforms diverged in May
The single most striking trend across the entire SVOD landscape this month was how new releases systematically drove the resurgence of older catalogue titles. No matter the platform size, dropping a highly anticipated new installment successfully pulled previous seasons back into public view, forcing multiple seasons of the same show onto the same top 10 chart at once.
Every single service tracked in May exhibited this exact viewer behavior:
- Amazon Prime Video: The final season of The Boys created the biggest multi-season footprint, with three separate seasons (S1, S4, and S5) charting simultaneously.
- Max: Witnessed a double phenomenon, with the finale of Euphoria dragging two previous seasons (S1 and S2) into the top 10, alongside From charting two seasons (S3 and S4).
- Netflix: The premiere of Kastanjemanden Season 2 successfully pulled its 2021 debut season back into the rankings.
- Disney+: Daredevil: Born Again mirrored this trend, with both its new second season and its previous first season charting together.
Ready to uncover more viewing behavior?
Interested in tracking how these multi-season catalogue pull-through behaviors shift in other markets across the UK or Europe? Reach out directly to Digital i’s research team via our website to explore our complete international viewing data and platform benchmarking tools.
Next in the series: the US, our remaining market in this month’s show rotation.
