Disney+ Original Series Miss Top 20 in Yearly Streaming Rankings
Disney+ failed to place any original series in Nielsen's top 20 most-streamed shows, while acquired titles *Bluey* and *The Simpsons* performed strongly.
Disney+ Original Content Absent from Top Streaming Rankings
Disney+ did not have a single original series rank among the top 20 most-streamed shows in Nielsen's year-to-date report. The platform's highest-performing original, The Mandalorian, recorded 4.82 billion viewing minutes-below Apple TV+'s Shrinking (5.25 billion), which held the 20th spot. Only two acquired Disney+ titles, Bluey (22.8 billion minutes) and The Simpsons (10.2 billion), appeared in Nielsen's rankings.
Netflix Dominates, While Competitors Scatter
Netflix claimed 10 of the top 20 original series slots, including three in the top five: Stranger Things (1st), Bridgerton (3rd), and The Lincoln Lawyer (5th). According to Nielsen, HBO Max's The Pitt and Paramount+'s Landman also ranked among the top five original series. Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Peacock also outperformed Disney+ in original content viewership, despite Disney+'s larger subscriber base of 55 million-surpassing Peacock (41 million) and Apple TV+ (19 million).
Acquired Content Outperforms Disney+ Originals
Legacy TV reruns drew significantly more viewership than Disney+'s high-budget Marvel and Star Wars series. The Big Bang Theory led with 20.4 billion minutes, followed by NCIS (12 billion), Law & Order (11.3 billion), and Friends (10.6 billion). Even Disney's acquired animated hit Bluey topped the overall rankings, underscoring the platform's reliance on non-original content.
Subscriber Count Fails to Translate to Engagement
Disney+'s 55 million subscribers did not translate to competitive original-series viewership. Peacock and Apple TV+, with fewer users, each had shows in the top 20-Peacock with two and Apple TV+ with one. This gap highlights Disney+'s struggle to retain audience interest despite its ownership of powerhouse brands like Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar.
Film Performance Mixed Amid Streaming Struggles
Disney's theatrical releases saw uneven results: Toy Story 5 and The Devil Wears Prada 2 succeeded, while Moana, Hoppers, and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu had lower performance. The contrast between legacy hits and newer projects suggests broader creative challenges beyond streaming.
Implications for Disney's Content Strategy
The absence of Disney+ originals in Nielsen's rankings raises questions about the platform's content investment strategy. With billions spent on Marvel and Star Wars series failing to crack the top 20, Disney may need to reassess its approach to original programming amid shifting viewer preferences.
What's Next for Disney+
Subscribers and investors can monitor whether Disney+ adjusts its content pipeline or doubles down on acquisitions. The platform's reliance on Bluey and The Simpsons for rankings suggests a potential pivot toward licensed content-or a reevaluation of its original-series priorities.
