The Mandalorian accumulates over 1 billion viewing minutes by Disney+ users, placing it as third highest on Nielsen’s streaming rankings. The show which has already grown more popular since its premiere in 2019, was an extremely massive hit for Disney+. Hence, the substantial numbers are almost expected, despite having its debut in the latter part of the year. Season 2 premiered on October 30 and has so far aired five episodes out of a planned slate of eight.
According to Deadline, The Mandalorian was watched for a total of 1.03 billion minutes, placing third on Nielsen’s streaming rankings. The Queen’s Gambit takes the first place, viewed for over 1.85 billion minutes. The Office follows at number 2 with viewership count of 1.05 billion minutes.
With Baby Yoda gaining a huge following after season 1, the show has expanded its scope in the sequel exponentially. Some episodes featured coinciding plots of the show to the wider Star Wars universe, bringing in exciting characters from previous shows. In particular, Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano have both made their live action debuts this season. The subsequent release of the show weekly has kept fans anticipating higher this season compared to episodes dropped at one-go.
However, the list only includes episodes from The Mandalorian season 1 and its season 2 pilot episode. Since its premiere on October 30, season 2 has already released four more episodes. While Nielsen hasn’t released numbers for these episodes, they are sure to improve counts of the series aggressively. Hence, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see The Mandalorian take over the first place soon.
Why makes The Mandalorian Season 2 so popular?
With appearances from fan-favorites Bo-Katan and Ahsoka, curious Star Wars fans who haven’t seen The Mandalorian will likely do so now. Add to that the ongoing pandemic that got most people indoors for the holiday season. While the initial figures prove the show’s undeniable wide reach, it can potentially expand more given the mentioned circumstances. Moreover, Disney+ offers a relatively cheap subscription at the moment which also increases the opportunity to reach more viewers.
Another thing viewers might be looking for that The Mandalorian has is the big-budget spectacle. With much of 2020’s slate of blockbusters delayed to 2021, those looking for a striking action show can find it on Disney+.
However, since streamers vary in their system of viewership counting, calculating exactly how many people have watched is extremely difficult. One thing though that can attest to Nielsen’s accuracy is Netflix’s report on The Queen’s Gambit breaking its streaming records. If that’s the case, Nielsen appears right on the track, and The Mandalorian’s numbers are probably as accurate as they can get.