Stranger Things logo seen on the backdrop of Netflix's "Stranger Things 3" premiere. AFP

Retro sci-fi series "Stranger Things" has broken Netflix viewing records with the global launch of its third season, the streaming giant said in a rare tweet publishing viewing data.

The nostalgic 1980s show about a gang of suburban adolescents battling supernatural monsters had been watched by 40.7 million accounts since Thursday, it said.

That figure for season three was "more than any other film or series in its first four days," the company said late Monday.

"And 18.2 million have already finished the entire season," it added.

Netflix is the market leader in global television and film streaming, with over 140 million paying accounts worldwide.

It occasionally publishes viewing figures for certain shows, but closely guards the vast majority of its data.

The platform is under increasing pressure from a cluster of deep-pocketed rivals including Amazon, Disney and Apple.

Agence France-Presse