'Squid Game' Season 3 dominates global Netflix charts

SEOUL, July 2 (UPI) -- The third and final season of South Korean smash hit Squid Game topped Netflix's global charts and broke streaming records, the platform said Wednesday.

The dystopian social satire garnered 60.1 million views in its first three days -- a record number -- and topped the streaming charts for the week of June 23-29. Season 3 outpaced its nearest competitor, the Spanish series Olympo, by nearly a tenfold margin.

Squid Game Season 3 ranked No. 1 in all 93 countries where Netflix keeps top 10 lists, the streamer said in a press release, making it the first show to achieve the distinction in its debut week.

The renewed interest in the series also brought its two previous seasons back onto the top 10 chart, with Season 2 appearing at No. 3 and Season 1 placing at No. 6.

The original season introduced the world to protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and his quest to survive a deadly series of children's games for a massive cash prize. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's series became a global phenomenon and remains Netflix's most-viewed show of all time.

Season 3's critical response has been generally positive, if more muted than the debut season. UPI's Fred Topel said the final six-episode arc is "still loaded with surprises" as it brings the saga of Gi-hun and the deadly game to its conclusion.

Netflix has capitalized on the show's popularity with commercial tie-ins and live events worldwide. In Seoul, nearly 40,000 people attended a parade and fan event on Saturday, with the show's iconic pink guards and its giant doll Young-hee marching past downtown's Gwanghwamun Square. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun and cast members from all three seasons appeared at an outdoor festival that served as a final celebration of Squid Game.