The video streaming sector has become far more competitive over the last year, with a host of strong contenders to Netflix’s throne arriving onto the scene. Notable newcomers include Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max and Peacock, and while they have a lot of ground to make up on the market leader, competition among these emerging platforms has been fierce. They’ve all sought a foothold on the market with strong launch line-ups, but one show on these services has really outgunned the opposition.
According to research from viewership measurement firm Parrot Analytics, Disney’s The Mandalorian is by far the most in-demand original show on any new streaming platform. In fact, interest in the Star Wars tie-in was found to be 55% higher than for the average TV show at the time of the study. Disney has not revealed official viewing figures for the series, but no doubt it helped the platform get off to a solid start, with 10 million sign-ups recorded in its first 24 hours.
Apple TV’s original content also appears to be performing well, with three of its flagship shows attracting higher-than-average interest. These were See, For All Mankind and Dickinson, though The Morning Show falling slightly below average is something of a surprise given the fanfare that surrounded its release.
Meanwhile, HBO Max enjoyed above-average demand for its array of Looney Tunes Cartoons, while Peacock’s heaviest hitters were Curious George and Brave New World. All of these services were, and still are, in their infancy when the study was carried out, so it will be interesting to see how things change over time.
In any case, one thing that can be gleaned from this is the might of The Mandalorian. It far surpassed any of the competition and was likely a driving force behind the promising start Disney+ got off to. While the opposition has some killer content of their own on the way, it will be difficult to compete with the Star Wars show’s second season, due to hit in October this year. After all, Baby Yoda mania is unlikely to die down anytime soon.
