Luminate, a leading data analytics firm, has released its 2024 viewership estimates, offering insights into film and TV trends. Among the findings, The Acolyte ranked as the second most-watched Disney Plus original series, with an estimated 2.673 billion minutes viewed. Only Percy Jackson and the Olympians outperformed it, racking up 3 billion minutes. But what do these numbers really say about Disney Plus’ performance in the competitive streaming landscape?
It's important to note that Luminate’s figures are third-party estimates and may not align with Disney’s internal data. The analysis appears to focus on U.S. viewership and reflects total minutes watched over the year, not just during the series’ release period. For The Acolyte, which debuted in early June with eight episodes, this averages to about 334 million minutes per episode.
Comparisons with other Disney Plus hits like Ahsoka suggest The Acolyte may have struggled to maintain traction. Ahsoka’s third episode alone garnered 459 million minutes in its release week, contributing to a seven-week total of 4 billion minutes, per Nielsen. Meanwhile, other streaming platforms outpaced Disney. Paramount Plus’ Landman, a lesser-known series, reportedly surpassed The Acolyte’s annual total within its first month.
The broader takeaway? Disney Plus originals face stiff competition. During Christmas week, Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2 helped the platform achieve over half the annual total Luminate reported for all Disney Plus originals combined. While The Acolyte had moments of success, the numbers suggest challenges for Star Wars content in the evolving streaming landscape.
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