Not too long ago, Jack Ryan returned for Season 2, and it is safe to say Amazon had a big mission in mind heading into it: get a lot of people to stream the action series! Well, consider that mission accomplished, according to new ratings data. After some big news and an over year-long wait for its return, Jack Ryan’s second season finally premiered on October 31.
Last year, stats indicated Jack Ryan was a hit for Amazon and new data shows no signs of it slowing down. Season 2 is a huge hit! A Nielsen measurements report notes that, following seven days of delayed viewing, Season 2 has an average minute audience that exceeds 4.6 million, per Variety. The good news does not end there!
The same metric points to Jack Ryan’s Season 2 premiere bringing in over 7.3 million viewers in the first seven days following its release. It also had a reported reach of 9.2 million in unique TV viewers in the United States. How did it do in the much-coveted 18-49 demo?
Things look good there too, with 45% of Jack Ryan’s average minute audience reportedly comprising that demo during its first week. That is nearly half of its viewership! Wow! With numbers like these, Jack Ryan’s hit status seems to be in great shape.
Everything that John Krasinski endured doing stunts for the show has clearly paid off. The evidence indicates that viewers are enjoying the Tom Clancy-created hero’s time on television! Fans will recall that the character was previously featured in an array of films over the years. He has now found a second wind on TV.
John Krasinski took the role over from Chris Pine, who played Jack Ryan in his most recent film outing. Pine played him in 2014’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Not one to take his mission to action stardom lightly, Krasinski previously revealed that he met with the CIA for the Amazon series.
When it comes to Jack Ryan, Amazon has always acted confidently. The series got renewed for Season 2 before it had ever even premiered. New info about its ratings indicates why Amazon going ahead and renewing Jack Ryan for Season 3 was a great idea. Following some behind-the-scenes changes, involving a new showrunner, Jack Ryan will be back again.
Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring will take over showrunning duties for Season 3. Jack Ryan fans will have to see how his influence is felt when Jack’s third outing premieres. Scheuring is coming on board with the show as hot as ever. There has clearly been no sophomore slump in terms of the ratings.
I am still holding out hope that Kevin Costner can somehow find time for an arc on the Amazon series. Jack Ryan’s continued success certainly means that more seasons could be on the horizon, which means a chance for him to do so remains intact. How well a series performs in the ratings in its second season is really telling, in my opinion.
Season 1 can be a breakout hit that gets people talking. The question becomes if the second season can sustain that momentum and keep people buzzing enough to continue streaming. Jack Ryan has undoubtedly pulled off that feat, indicating that Amazon does not have a one-hit-wonder in its midst.
It is good news for the studio, which is prepping that Lord of the Rings TV show, which already got its own early renewal. Jack Ryan’s second season ratings put the action series in formidable territory. The show's title character has found new life on the television screen, and if these numbers hold, he should keep living it up!
Jack Ryan’s first two seasons are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. A premiere date for Season 3 has not been announced yet. While you wait for the CIA analyst’s return, check out this winter’s premieres to help pass the time.
