Netflix’s recent cancellation of the queer-themed series Boots continues to raise eyebrows among fans, especially in light of the platform’s newly released Engagement Report. Despite Boots ranking among the top 25 most-watched TV series in the latter half of 2025, it will not be returning for a second season.
The decision, announced by Netflix in mid-December, sparked confusion — and now, Netflix’s own data only deepens the mystery.
What the Engagement Report Reveals
Released earlier this week, Netflix’s second-half 2025 Engagement Report (covering July–December) tracks two major metrics:
- Hours Viewed: Total time subscribers spent watching a series.
- Views: The number of times a title was played.
Across the board, Netflix recorded 96 billion hours of watch time. Predictably, heavy-hitters like Wednesday, Squid Game, and Stranger Things dominated the top slots. But Boots also earned a surprising 30.7 million views — enough to place it at No. 23 on the report.
Boots Outperformed Many Renewed Series
The show’s strong performance becomes more puzzling when compared with other series that were renewed:
- The Witcher Season 4 (25.4 million views) – Renewed for Season 5
- The Diplomat Season 3 (20.8 million views) – Renewed for Season 4
- Beauty in Black Season 2 (24.2 million views) – Renewed for Season 3
All these shows saw significantly lower viewership than Boots during the same period — yet were given the green light for additional seasons.
Even Netflix hits like House of Guinness, The Sandman Season 2, and the critically acclaimed Adolescence had fewer views than Boots, but still saw continued investment.
Head-to-Head Comparisons Make Cancellation More Confusing
Let’s examine a few series in direct comparison:
1. Nobody Wants This (Season 2)
- Premiered in October 2025 — two weeks before Boots
- 10 episodes (vs. 8 for Boots)
- 30.4 million views (vs. 30.7 million for Boots)
- Ranked No. 24 (vs. Boots at No. 23)
- ✅ Renewed for Season 3
2. The Hunting Wives (Season 1)
- Premiered in July 2025
- 31.3 million views (over a longer period)
- Ranked No. 22
- ✅ Renewed for Season 2
- Similar episode count and queer storyline
Despite these shows performing similarly — or even slightly worse — than Boots, they were renewed, intensifying fan confusion.
Why Was Boots Cancelled? Potential Theories
Theory 1: It Wasn’t a Netflix Original
Boots was produced by Sony Pictures Television, while many renewed shows come directly from Netflix’s internal studios. However, this logic doesn’t hold entirely — shows like Untamed and The Hunting Wives, also from outside studios, were renewed.
Theory 2: High Production Costs
Delays during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes, plus reported script changes and re-shoots, may have made Boots an expensive gamble. Cast members like Sachin Bhatt and Jack Cameron Kay have publicly referenced storylines that were cut or changed in post-production.
Theory 3: Political Pressures
Some speculate that political motivations may have played a role. An official from the Pentagon reportedly called Boots “woke garbage”. While speculative, critics have linked the cancellation to broader tensions — particularly Netflix’s ambitions to acquire Warner Bros Discovery during a conservative US political climate.
Still, no direct evidence supports this theory, and it remains part of wider cultural speculation.
