Report:
In November 2025, top film franchises commanded massive reach, and with Netflix now controlling Warner Bros., the balance of power in streaming is shifting fast. This month’s leaderboard highlights exactly what drew Netflix to WB: franchises with built-in reach, cultural pull, and untapped cross-platform potential—including gaming, whether they care to admit it or not.
To no one’s surprise, Disney takes the charts for early-holiday viewing with seven franchises combining for 235M reach, while Warner Bros., now under Netflix, adds 165M reach across four titles, including Superman (60M) and Barbie (55M). The $82.7 billion Warner Bros. acquisition gives Netflix immediate access to IP built not just for passive viewing, but for interactive, cross-platform expansion.
Netflix insists WB’s game studios didn’t factor into the deal. But the reality is that the IP they now hold could reshape their entire interactive strategy, assuming they address the operational hurdles they’ve faced in the past.
This month’s leaderboard speaks directly to how the biggest franchises make the most of both screens and platforms. The real winners will be the ones who can activate these worlds everywhere, from film to streaming to games. That’s exactly why Netflix’s new WB IP is so compelling.
The Breakdown
Superman (Warner Bros., 60M reach) claims the top spot this month, signalling just how potent WB’s worlds remain, even before Netflix fully integrates them. Barbie (Mattel/WB, 55M) lands at #2, proving its post-theatrical momentum hasn’t slowed. Disney follows with a barrage of heavy hitters: Inside Out (54M), Spider-Man (34M), Avatar (32M), Marvel (31M), X-Men (30M), Lion King (28M), Frozen (26M).
Nostalgia, family viewing, and emotional comfort all drive November reach, and no one monetizes that better than Disney.
But the leaderboard also exposes the next competitive fault line: franchises built to be interacted with.
Minecraft (31M), Sonic the Hedgehog (25M), Jurassic Park (45M), and Mission Impossible (26M) all demonstrate strong cross-format demand with worlds that are equally at home in games, film, TV, and merchandise.
And then there’s Dune (WB, 23M). Prestige, fandom, replay value, and unmistakable gaming potential. Once Netflix begins integrating WB’s library, they’ll have all the strategic ammunition they need to claim their stake in streaming and interactive entertainment. But how that plays out depends on Netflix’s approach. Owning the IP alone won’t be enough if they don’t back it with the talent, operation, and strategy it requires to take it the distance.
ALDORA tracks brand performance across five dimensions of the gaming ecosystem—Play (direct gameplay), Watch (streaming and video content), Connect (social interactions), Create (user-generated content), and Spend (in-game purchases and merchandise)—aggregating these diverse engagement signals into a unified measure of audience reach.
Disney claims five of the top 11 spots, with Inside Out (54M), Spider-Man (34M), and Avatar (32M) still functioning as reliable holiday performers. Their depth of family-friendly franchises continues to give them a seasonal advantage.
But the real headline is at No. 1: Superman pulls 60M, instantly becoming Netflix’s crown jewel now that the WB catalog sits under its umbrella. The acquisition hands them a top-tier franchise that rivals all of Disney’s heavy hitters.
Across the leaderboard, one pattern holds: The biggest numbers come from universes that already succeed across formats, including film, television, and games.
Examples:
Netflix spent years trying to build original gaming traction from scratch. Now they suddenly own franchises with decades of lore, fan identity, and gameplay precedent. That fundamentally changes their strategic advantage.
Publicly, Netflix maintains that gaming was incidental to the deal. But look at the numbers:
To say gaming “didn’t factor in” is like saying Minecraft’s 31M monthly viewers are irrelevant to Microsoft’s transmedia play. And, with data showing that 51% of Netflix subscribers have already tried Netflix Games, ignoring the potential would be a monumental misstep.
As these WB films roll out on Netflix, audience reach will likely expand dramatically, shifting the competitive balance. If Netflix leverages this IP for interactive extensions, it doesn’t just compete with Disney in streaming—it challenges Microsoft, Sony, and others across culture-shaping ecosystems.
Sure, Netflix can keep saying gaming didn’t matter. But the leaderboard reveals the greater story: Superman, Barbie, Batman, and Dune are franchises designed to move across screens, and now, they’re under Netflix’s control. The opportunity is right there, in plain sight, and the question isn’t if Netflix will act—it’s how fast…and how well.
Who will take the lead next month? Follow ALDORA on LinkedIn to see where culture, capital, and consumer power collide next.
Analysis by ALDORA CEO Joost van Dreunen
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