Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Back With 2 Spots in Streaming’s Top 10 | Charts

One man, two streaming successes. Netflix has bet big on Arnold Schwarzenegger and emerged victorious. The actor single-handedly comprised 20% of the streaming chart for the week of June 7-13, according to the latest Wrap report, providing an exclusive first look at the most-watched movies and TV series from the past week across both streaming and linear television.

Not only is the “Terminator” star behind the streamer’s hit series “Fubar,” which scored the No. 2 spot this week, but The Arnold is also the subject of a new revealing three-part docuseries on the streaming platform, which came in at No. 4 after debuting on Netflix June 7.

After a recent debut week that propelled Netflix and Schwarzenegger to the top of streaming, “Fubar” continues to find new audiences despite its premiere date over two weeks prior. Perhaps this is an early indicator that the series appears poised to buck the trend across streaming platforms, where nearly 80% of viewership occurs within the first 15 days of a series’ release.

At the top of the charts this week is “Avatar: The Way of Water,” propelling streamers Disney+ and Max to the top of the charts in a two-way tie for the No. 1 spot. Over a dozen years since the original “Avatar” film debuted, viewers can explore the regions of Pandora — this time through the largest screen in the home.

The James Cameron sequel to the 2009 original brought in 2.6 million U.S. households streaming simultaneously on platforms Disney+ and Max within its first five days available after hitting theaters last year. The unique dual release of the film on two of the leading streaming platforms was instrumental in helping to drive the initial surge in viewership. The movie also appealed to diverse audiences, including Black and Hispanic households. These viewers over-indexed compared to the national average by 10% and 9%, respectively.

At No. 3, the coming-of-age series “Never Have I Ever” returned to Netflix for its fourth and final run. Co-created by Mindy Kaling, the latest season follows an Indian-American high school student played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Netflix continues to spotlight diverse actors, and this programming decision continues to pay off for the streamer, as greater on-screen representation tends to increase viewership overall and among diverse populations.

Amazon’s Prime Video had an exceptional week, with its latest film “Creed III” and docuseries “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” both grabbing spots on the leaderboard. After setting a box office record, “Creed III” finally made its way to streaming and audiences were eager to check out the latest installment of the “Rocky”-universe film, even without Sylvester Stallone.

Hulu also nabbed two spots on the leaderboard this week, with season three of “The Kardashians” and original movie “Flamin’ Hot.” Eva Longoria’s directorial debut follows the life of Mexican-American Richard Montañez and the origin story of Cheetos, one of the most recognized snacks across the globe. The film is a universal rags-to-riches story that transcends cultural lines, resonating with audiences across the board.

On linear TV, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” nabbed the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive week, while the network’s “American Ninja Warrior” also took second.

New to the broadcast TV charts this week is “Criminal Minds” airing on ION Television.

Meanwhile, ABC’s “Wheel of Fortune” comprised a whooping 40% of the leaderboard, with four episodes in the top 10. On the heels of host Pat Sajak’s announcement that he is departing the long-running game show next year for his next stint in academia, the network’s flagship gameshow got a big boost from TV audiences.

Meredith Brace is the chief marketing officer at Samba TV, a WrapPRO partner. Click here for more data and analysis from Samba TV.

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