Paramount+ was already an attractive option for streaming services thanks to its manageable subscription cost for the huge content pool, but top-tier originals like the Star Trek franchise and Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan's expanding spinoff universe have really sent things over the top. Now, the long-awaited video game adaptation of Halo has finally premiered on the streamer, and while critics have varying opinions on the show, it’s drawing plenty of eager eyes all the same. So much so that Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's historical western 1883 just had its prior record broken by the futuristic actioner Halo, which means there’s a new top show on Paramount+. At least for now.
Paramount+ reported that Halo's premiere episode set a new record as the service’s most-watched series premiere in its first 24 hours of release, and that includes the entire global audience. While official numbers weren’t revealed regarding exactly how many people that meant, it’s noted by Deadline that the prior record was set when 1883 premiered in December 2021. No numbers on streaming were reported than either, though it’s noted 1883 scored an impressive 4.9 million viewers in a promotional linear airing on Paramount Network following that week's episode of Yellowstone.
The news must be welcoming to Paramount+ and the Halo team, as overtaking any viewership accomplishment set by 1883 is an achievement. The Yellowstone franchise is quite popular across both linear TV and streaming, and the flagship show’s Season 4 premiere absolutely crushed in the ratings (with that entire season headed to Peacock for those who want to stream it). 1883 presumably continued gaining big numbers throughout its first season, and we learned that yet another spinoff in the Yellowstone franchise is on the way. In short, for Halo to do anything that stands out atop the massive success the Yellowstone franchise has earned is worth celebrating.
Of course, the coming weeks will tell whether or not Halo’s massive embedded fandom was responsible for the viewership premiere record, and if they’ll stick around for future episodes. With Halo being one of Microsoft’s biggest game franchises, it’s no surprise many wanted to see Master Chief in live-action, but some creative decisions already have divided long-time fans and led to some debate. It’s possible that a number of people who watched won’t tune in for another episode, and the future episodes won’t perform nearly as well. But it does seem likely that the show is already doing better on streaming than it would have at its original home on Showtime.
The good news is that Paramount+ is already committed to Halo and that Season 2 is already confirmed. So, even if the numbers (which we don’t know) aren’t enough to topple any other performance by an 1883 episode, a new season is coming all the same. Of course, it’s possible the show will continue to mark a meteoric rise and unquestionable domination, but without publicly available metrics for streaming, we’ll just have to speculate for now.
With Pablo Schreiber assuring gamers it’s good, Halo airs new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. 1883’s first season is available to stream as well, so now is an ideal time to check out the service and see the vast amount of original shows available to watch each and every month.
