The Mandalorian 5x More Popular Than Anything Else On Disney+

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The Mandalorian 5x More Popular Than Anything Else On Disney+

New viewing figures for Disney+'s original shows reveal The Mandalorian is easily the most popular, raking in five times more viewers than its rivals.

New viewing figures for Disney+'s original shows reveal The Mandalorian is easily the most popular, raking in five times more viewers than its rivals. The series, the first live-action TV show set in the Star Wars universe, was released on Disney+ on the streaming service's launch day in November 2019. It was an instant hit, reinvigorating the franchise with a new set of stories primarily disconnected from the Skywalker Saga, though there are increasing overlaps in season 2. Season 1 went on to win seven Emmy Awards in 2020, and season 2 has proven just as popular with fans.

Seen as the start of Star Wars' future, The Mandalorian has been praised for the way it expands on familiar elements from the established universe but forging its own path. Season 2 has doubled down on this, featuring the likes of Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), but keeping the focus on Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and The Child, aka Baby Yoda. As a result of The Mandalorian's popularity, there is great anticipation for Disney+'s other upcoming Star Wars live-action series, which include the return of Ewan McGregor in Kenobi, a limited series focused on Obi-Wan, and a series exploring Rogue One character Cassian Andor's (Diego Luna) early days.

A new set of viewership figures for Disney+, shared by CNBC's Carl Qunitanilla, reveals The Mandalorian is even more popular than first believed. The figures compare the viewing demand for all of Disney+'s shows over their first 60 days of release. The Mandalorian easily tops the list, with five times more viewers than its closest rival, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The Right Stuff is third on the list, with half the viewers of HSM. You can see the full list, pulled together by Parrot Analytics, below:

The fact The Mandalorian is the most popular original show on Disney+ is hardly surprising, but it is surprising just how dominant it is. None of the other Disney+ originals compete with it at all, and it's little wonder Disney is putting its weight behind the two upcoming Star Wars live-action series. Additionally, the Marvel TV series's broad slate, based on popular characters from both the comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is due to debut on Disney+ over the next two years. If just one or two of those can replicate the success of The Mandalorian, Disney would have justified the cost of producing them.

The first of those shows will be Wandavision, which will debut January 15, 2021, is perhaps even more anticipated than The Mandalorian was, given it will be the first Marvel content released by Disney since 2019. If it proves to be as popular, or even more so, than the Star Wars show was upon release, Disney+ is set to see a significant increase in subscribers and may well quickly cement its place as one of the top streaming services alongside Netflix. The head honchos at the media giant are likely pleased with their decision to double down on streaming content and are set to have a massive 2021 if The Mandalorian's popularity is a sign of what's to come.