And the signs of success just keep coming for Disney+'s The Mandalorian. Fresh off an impressive slate of Emmy nominations, the first live-action Star Wars show has scored another major milestone. The same third-party gauge that reported Looney Tunes Cartoons had bested giants like Game of Thrones on HBO Max is at it again. And based on this latest report, it looks as though The Mandalorian is the most in-demand show among new streaming services.
Parrot Analytics reports that interest in The Mandalorian made it one of the most anticipated streaming shows during a new streamer’s launch week, per The Hollywood Reporter. In truth, no other show could hold a candle to it. The margin made The Mandalorian the distant winner with the live-action Star Wars series managing to out-rank the competition by “55 times” more than the average series during their respective launch weeks.
The metric comes as Disney+ has been met with several competitors since it made its own much-anticipated debut back in November, with Apple TV+ bowing eleven days before it. Since the two services launched last fall, HBO Max and Peacock have attempted to capture at least some of Disney+’s bright spotlight. And going up against the House of Mouse is certainly not an easy task.
The new streamers also had to contend with Disney+’s impressive slate of programming, which saw The Mandalorian leading the charge. Its Season 1 premiere coincided with Disney+’s November 12 launch date, and the streamer couldn't have asked for a hotter rocket to fly than the Star Wars franchise. According to Google, The Mandalorian was 2019’s fifth most popular TV show (Game of Thrones came in first.)
At this point, it goes without saying that a chunk of the buzz surrounding The Mandalorian should be attributed to the fact that it gave rise to the pop culture sensation known as “Baby Yoda.” So far, the character has only helped keep the Disney+ series at the forefront of intense conversation, ongoing buzz, and ceaseless inquiries.
Believe it or not, The Mandalorian didn't even take full advantage of Baby Yoda at the start. This is because Lucasfilm wanted to keep a lid on one of its most adored characters by postponing the rollout of merchandise. And ironically, having no Baby Yoda toys for the holidays arguably added more fuel to the Baby Yoda fire. When considering the fact that no one officially knew about Baby Yoda back in November, The Mandalorian’s meteoric start is all the more impressive.
The Star Wars series clearly struck a chord with those longing for more from the franchise, which saw its last big-screen installment premiere back in December. To say that the hype around Star Wars was at an optimum tilt would probably be an understatement. Nevertheless, Disney+ made viewers wait week-to-week for new episodes of the series rather than opting for Netflix’s instant binge option.
Luke Skywalker would probably agree that “all good things come to those who wait.” Speaking of whom, Mark Hamill had some incredibly kind things to say about The Mandalorian, so that's saying something. The Mandalorian is currently streaming on Disney+, and its second season is expected to serve as one of this fall’s premieres.
