One year after its initial premiere on Hulu, the second season of The Bear has recently been released in the U.S. market. The first season was widely praised for its vivid portrayal of the frenzied and anxiety-ridden world of a small restaurant kitchen. This acclaim reinforced Hulu's image as a hub for innovative television and set lofty expectations for the second season.
Indeed, the second season has managed to elevate audience engagement even further. Demand data from Parrot Analytics reveals that, in the two weeks following the season premiere, The Bear consistently garnered more demand than its inaugural season. While the first season's demand peaked at 20 times the average U.S. market demand four days after the initial episode was released, the second season has nearly doubled this peak. It reached a high of 37 times the average demand just five days after the season premiere, placing the show among the top ten most sought-after Hulu offerings for that day.
The success of The Bear underscores the broader trend of traditional cable networks like FX playing a crucial role in the streaming strategies of platforms like Hulu. The platform is the official streaming home for FX content, with even some FX-produced shows being released first on Hulu, such as The Bear and Reservation Dogs. Numerous FX originals like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, What We Do In The Shadows, and American Horror Story consistently rank among Hulu's most demanded shows.
The chart below further emphasizes FX's importance to Hulu. As of May 2023, 8.6% of the total demand for Hulu's TV catalog was generated by an FX production (whether it was first released on the FX cable channel or on Hulu). This share is only exceeded by the demand for original productions from ABC and FOX.
Looking ahead, as streaming competition intensifies, the ongoing partnership with FX will remain key for Hulu. It is an association that provides a steady stream of high-quality, in-demand content that helps Hulu differentiate itself in the crowded streaming market. In short, FX's contributions are not just valuable - they are essential to Hulu's continued success.
