In a year marked by streaming challenges and production slowdowns, Disney+ found its brightest star in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which dominated the platform's viewership charts with over 3 billion minutes watched. The adaptation proved to be a rare win for Disney+ in a landscape where major franchises struggled to maintain their usual momentum.
“The Acolyte” demonstrated remarkable resilience by securing the second position with 2.7 billion minutes viewed, despite being part of the generally underperforming Star Wars franchise in 2024. This achievement is particularly noteworthy given the broader context of franchise fatigue affecting major IPs across streaming platforms.
The streaming landscape in 2024 revealed significant shifts in viewer engagement patterns. Netflix maintained its dominance with seven of the top 10 most-watched series, led by “Fool Me Once” with 12 billion minutes viewed. However, the industry faced considerable challenges, with TV production down 7% from the previous year.
Interestingly, while franchises like Marvel and Star Wars generally underperformed, with series like “Echo” and “Agatha All Along” falling short of expectations, The Acolyte's strong performance suggested there's still substantial audience interest in well-executed franchise content. The show's premiere was particularly impressive, drawing 2.94 million views in its first two days.
The success of Percy Jackson and The Acolyte amid a challenging year for streaming platforms demonstrates that while franchise fatigue may be real, strong content can still break through. The contrasting performance of different Disney+ shows suggests that audience engagement increasingly depends on quality storytelling rather than just brand recognition.
What do you think these viewing patterns reveal about the future of streaming content, and how might this influence future production strategies at major platforms?
