In 2025, streaming platforms are spending film-franchise money on TV shows, blurring the line between episodic storytelling and blockbuster filmmaking. Budgets that once belonged only to major Hollywood movies are now being poured into single TV seasons.
Based on reported total season budgets, these are the three most expensive TV shows of 2025.
1. Stranger Things (Season 5) — $400 Million
Netflix has gone all out for the final chapter of Stranger Things.
With a reported budget of $400 million, Season 5 stands as the most expensive single season of television ever produced. It is less a traditional TV season and more a cinematic event broken into episodes.
Where the money went
- Movie-length episodes instead of standard runtimes
- Heavy visual effects and large-scale action scenes
- Significantly increased cast salaries
- Extensive set construction and long post-production
Netflix is clearly treating the final season as a global spectacle, designed to dominate pop culture and close one of its biggest franchises on the highest possible note.
2. Star Wars: Andor (Season 1) — $291 Million
At $291 million, Andor became one of the most expensive Star Wars projects ever made and it achieved that without relying heavily on flashy spectacle.
Instead, the series focused on realism.
What drove the high budget
- Large-scale practical sets instead of green screens
- Real-world filming locations across multiple countries
- A long and complex production schedule
- A sizable ensemble cast and cinematic crew
Unlike other Star Wars shows, Andor chose grounded storytelling and political depth. That creative choice came with a price tag and Disney was willing to pay it.
3. Severance (Season 2) — $200 Million
On the surface, Severance doesn’t look like a $200 million show.
There are no massive battle scenes, no fantasy worlds, and no obvious spectacle. Yet Apple TV+ reportedly spent around $200 million on Season 2, placing it among the costliest TV seasons of the year.
Why Season 2 cost so much
- Long production delays and scheduling challenges
- Expanded world-building beyond the office setting
- High-end production design and meticulous set detail
- Apple’s commitment to prestige television
Despite its minimalist tone, Severance is carefully constructed and precision at that level is expensive.
These budgets point to a larger industry shift.
In 2025:
- TV seasons cost as much as blockbuster movies
- Episodes are structured like feature films
- Streaming platforms prioritize cultural impact over cost-cutting