Insights

TV series demand across all television platforms for the U.S. (18-24 October, 2020)

27 October, 2020

Image: Lovecraft Country, HBO

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The three most in-demand series in the US have maintained their rank order this week compared to last week. Spongebob Squarepants held onto the top position and its demand compared to the average series remained nearly the same, showing the staying power of this staple. Meanwhile, demand for Saturday Night Live ticked up slightly, possibly driven by buzz around Adele hosting this weekend’s episode.

The Mandalorian’s meteoric rise landed it in 4th place as the most in-demand series overall in the US this week. Expect the series to continue its ascent as the first episode of Season 2 premieres next week. A new trailer was released this past week to help drum up excitement heading into the new season.

Both Lovecraft Country and Steven Universe jumped three places into the top ten overall ranking this week. Lovecraft Country aired its season finale episode on October 18 and ended on a high note. Steven Universe wrapped up its final season earlier this year so the jump in demand it is seeing now is likely tied to the recent release of Steven Universe: End of an Era, a book with a behind the scenes look at the making of the final season.

The Simpsons remained in the tenth spot overall this week. The Halloween special was delayed until November 1 due to the MLB playoffs, however the political material for this year’s episode should boost interest two days before a presidential election.

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Among digital original series, The Mandalorian has already reached the top spot even before releasing any of its Season 2 episodes. This shows how high anticipation for the next season of this series is. Given this series will release episodes weekly, it is conceivable The Mandalorian will hold onto the top spot for a long time. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, made it into the top 10 digital originals in the US ranking this week and could be being buoyed by general Star Wars interest in the lead up to The Mandalorian. There has even been discussion about a character crossover between the two.

Demand for Stranger Things is up about 8% this week putting it in second place among most in-demand digital original series. Filming began on Season 4 and pictures from the set as well as episode titles have been released. This series is likely also benefitting from increased Halloween season interest.

Both Titans and Star Trek: Discovery moved up one place in this week’s ranking. Filming on Titans Season 3 has begun and has started creating buzz. Star Trek: Discovery is in its second week of releasing episodes so will likely continue to rise as momentum for the series builds.



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