Disney+ is mopping the floor with Netflix right now, thanks to ‘Loki’
There’s one thing that ought to jump out at you right away, when scanning a list of the most watched TV shows right now across all the major streaming platforms. It’s a lack of Netflix content.
A Wired piece published a few days ago mulled the possibility that “Netflix is losing its cool,” per the headline. Granted, that title probably sexes up the reality a bit more than necessary. But you could argue that it’s directionally accurate. Data from Reelgood, for example, shows that HBO Max, not Netflix, had the biggest movie releases in the first half of of the year (with Mortal Kombat and Godzilla vs. Kong). Netflix, meanwhile, has produced some expensive duds that flopped hard, like Jupiter’s Legacy. At the same time, even though Netflix’s growth domestically seems to have stalled out, there’s no streaming rival at the moment that can match its global scale. Netflix is a monster on a global basis, with most of the subscriber base expansion happening outside the US. It’s spending billions on content in far-flung markets like South Korea. And it can practically mint universal hits with foreign-language content that it pushes out to subscribers around the world. Including everything from Lupin to this month’s second season of Sky Rojo.
Most watched TV shows (June 30-July 6)
All that said, other streamers are nipping at the heels of Netflix when it comes to content like international fare. HBO Max, for example, is the home for one of the most sublimely perfect TV shows available right now. It’s Gomorrah, a drama from Italy about warring crime families. I stand by what I’ve written previously about it: “Once you’ve let Gomorrah take you down the dark, mean streets of Naples and Rome, and it’s introduced you to the warring crime families at the heart of the show, you’ll forget all about silly American TV fare that’s trod the same thematic road.” No silly fuggitaboutit crap. The show, mostly filmed in the Scampia neighborhood of Naples, is a much more violent, drug-fueled and Shakespearean mashup of The Sopranos, The Wire, and Game of Thrones. Just, you know, transported to modern-day Italy.
I could say a lot more about HBO Max — which, beyond an app that’s got some bells and whistles that are a little annoying, has executed pretty well overall since its launch. The same goes for Disney+, which is home once again to one of the most watched TV shows on any of the streamers right now. That’s right, the god of mischief has once again bested all of his streaming rivals, to triumph in a modern-day, Darwinian equivalent of natural selection.
What’s hot on Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, Apple TV+ and more
That Loki tops our latest list of the most-watched streaming content is a testament to the continued power of all the intellectual property that Disney owns. Everything from Marvel to Star Wars, Pixar and more.
This tally comes, as always, from the team at streaming search engine service Reelgood. You can check out the full list below — which only includes three Netflix originals. And a fourth, Manifest, which is a now-canceled NBC series that’s found a second life on Netflix.
The balance of the list is populated by content from Disney+, HBO Max, and Apple TV+.
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