Reacher has already proven to be a force to be reckoned with on-screen, so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that he’s smashing every other streaming series in the Nielsen Ratings.
After a fantastic first season, the second season of Prime Video’s Reacher was among the most anticipated shows of the past year. However, no one would have expected the thriller series to dominate the streaming charts like it did. In its premiere week alone, the series amassed an astounding 1.2 billion viewing minutes, according to Nielsen’s metrics.
What makes this achievement particularly interesting, is the fact that it was accomplished in just the first three episodes. Such a strong showing not only makes Reacher a formidable contender in the streaming space but it’s also reflective of the audiences’ appetite for high-octane, character-driven stories, especially those where the protagonist is a walking, talking tank with a moral compass.
On another front, Percy Jackson and the Olympians seems to have finally found its audience. With only 80 minutes of content (yes, just two episodes), it still managed to enchant enough viewers to rank fourth among streaming originals. Clearly, audiences have been craving the return of the demigods of Camp Half-Blood, and Disney+ has answered the call.
Moving up the list, Netflix’s Young Sheldon bagged the top spot, streaming its way to 1.4 billion viewing minutes. All six seasons of the Big Bang Theory spinoff were recently added to Netflix, and, like Suits, the show appears to have found a new lease on life on the platform.
Netflix’s dominance on the streaming charts is nothing to scoff at. The Crown, Leave the World Behind, and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire are all right up there, proving that Netflix isn’t giving up its crown anytime soon. That being said, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ have established that they can give Netflix their run of the money.
So, what does this all mean for the ongoing streaming wars? Well, for starters, it means the game is changing, and it’s not just about quantity anymore. Now, it’s all about capturing the audience with quality content, even if it’s just for a couple of hours, and with so many contenders vying for the top spot, the battle is only going to intensify.
