Image: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disney+
This week, 23 – 29 October, while many shows have managed to retain their position on the top 10 lists, we see three shows that rose up to grab a spot in there as well. Spongebob Squarepants and Saturday Night Live retained their positions at the top of the charts with 73.5 times the demand average and 66.4 times the demand average respectively. SNL had an almost 5% increase in demand despite not releasing a new episode this Halloween weekend. The increase could be explained by the episode which aired last week on October 23, starring Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis, who was hosting for the first time, with an appearance from Brandi Carlile, whose musical debut on the show was very positively received.
YTV’s My Hero Academia rose up from its fourth position last week to the third spot this week, pushing Netflix’s You down to the fourth place in the overall top 10 list. This movement comes as the anime saw a 3% increase in demand after the release of its third movie in the United States on October 29. Another show that saw a 3% increase in demand was The Simpsons, after releasing their annual Treehouse of Horror Halloween special episode. Despite releasing a few weeks earlier on October 10, these episodes are often revisited by fans at a time closer to Halloween. The annual episodes have become a cultural staple and this increase in demand for the series reflects that. It is now the eighth most in demand show with 38.9 times the average series demand in the US.
Despite a 9% decrease in demand after its release, You still remains at the top as the most in-demand digital original in the US with 50 times the demand average. HBO Max’s Titans, also retained its position as the second most in-demand digital original despite an 11% decrease in demand. Netflix’s Squid Game continues to defy expectations and has seen a smaller (8%) drop in demand despite airing over a month ago. The show retained its position as the third most in-demand digital original in the US with 36.6 times the average demand. Netflix’s recent corporate share earnings also revealed the impact the South Korean drama series has had on its growth, and credited the series for being able to beat its estimates. The platform has clearly benefited from its international shows, and its next aim would be finding the next Squid Game.
Speaking of defying expectations, another Netflix show, Lucifer, continues to hold its position on the top 10 lists, as the eighth most in-demand digital original in the US, same as last week. Despite airing over a month and half ago, and having a 3% decrease in demand, the series continues to hold audience attention with 25 times the average series demand. Disney+’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the only show this week with a double digit surge in demand – 13%. While there hasn’t been any significant development regarding the show itself, the series received the Saturn Award for the best animated TV series on October 26. In addition there have been many fan discussions and articles highlighting the show’s darker episodes which would be perfect to watch on the Halloween weekend. Both of these could explain the increase in demand for the series. The Star Wars show is currently the tenth most in-demand digital original in the US this week with 24.3 times the demand average.
