The biggest news from Apple TV+ this week was “Ted Lasso” Season 2 setting a new record for the streaming platform’s biggest premiere day and opening weekend ever.
Reelgood investigated just how much Ted Lasso has grown since its pilot episode was released a year ago and found:
• Ted Lasso Season 1 debuted with 1.9% shares of weekend streaming on Reelgood from Aug 14 to 16, 2020. Last week, season 2 got a much warmer reception, with 4.6% shares of weekend streaming. Since Season 1 debuted with three episodes and Season 2 opened with only one, Reelgood evened the playing field by analyzing this data on a user level. This means users are only counted once no matter how many episodes for which they clicked play.
• Looking at the data for Apple TV+ in general, Reelgood also saw that different TV shows on the service tend to reach a wider audience during the opening weekend of their second season vs. the first, a good indicator that Apple’s original content is doing its job keeping subscribers entertained and hopefully building a loyal fanbase along the way. For example — For All Mankind was only the 41st most-watched TV show across all SVOD streaming platforms during the opening weekend of its pilot season. But when season 2 rolled out, it became the 14th most-watched TV show during its first weekend.
• This growth in streaming and engagement for Apple TV+ Originals (spurred by terrific reviews and word-of-mouth marketing) seems to be affecting brand new releases as well such as Lisey’s Story (2.5%) and Schmigadoon! (2.1%) which opened to bigger shares of streaming compared to Ted Lasso during the premiere of its first season.
• Ted Lasso appears to be keeping the momentum going. This past weekend, from July 30 to Aug 1st, the second episode of season 2 garnered 5.3% shares of streaming and engagement.
Reelgood’s Maria Santos said in a statement, “While the journey to match the popularity of recent hit shows such as WandaVision and Loki may be challenging, it’s clear that Apple TV+ is at least on the right path with its original content.”
MacDailyNews Take: Nowadays, it’s very, very good to be Jason Sudeikis.
It gets so much attention that I finally watched a few episodes. It’s cute. It falls far short of the amazing comedy I expected though. The Amazon who plays his boss certainly keeps my attention, and his down home folksy philosophy on life is pleasing, but they keep hitting us over the head with it. The metaphors just keep flowing and I find myself mumbling, “Shut up Ted.”
Haven’t said that since the Mary Tyler Moore show.
I will say that for what it is, it is better for most people than Wandavision or Loki. If you’re not a diehard Marvel fan searching for every Easter egg and clue in the Marvel shows, you’ll definitely enjoy Lasso more. I suspect.
You’re right, the first few episodes are cute.
You need to watch Ted Lasso through Season 1 Episode 8. That episode is the point where many go from “like” to “love” with Ted Lasso. If you haven’t seen through the dart game scene, you haven’t really seen Ted Lasso.
The dart game scene was the absolute best scene of the series 👍
I’ve enjoyed the show and it is generally pretty funny but it’s getting to the point where I’m having difficulty understanding the Bri-ish accent throughout the show. Nearly to the point of needing subtitles. I’m not disparaging the show because of that but it’s a challenge. Agreed on the boss and the folksiness being slightly overdone but that’s just the essence of the character, I guess
Will we soon hear that Apple is dropping its tech offerings, except its bread ‘n butter iPh and emojis, for subscriptions related to movies, tv shows and music?
Or, maybe in a yr, or two, Apple will offer technology skus with a subscription, only?
It seems like the propensity is trending.
Sadly, no one in my household is mature enough to watch TV-MA.
Actual Apple could win the streaming war, not because they would have to be so great but rather because the other services are so lame. If Apple would just focus on good story telling and leave all the low resolution garbage to the rest of the pack then over time Apple would pull ahead. They need to think of their catalog inventory like fine wine, it will only get better with time. … Imagine if Steve was around and he could apply his pixar instinct for timeless movie content up against today’s boring and predictable content.
John Lasseter, not Steve Jobs, who was responsible for Pixar’s success.
as a self proclaimed Filmmaker you should know that Pixar’s success was a result hundreds of talent individuals. But only one person took the risk and put up the money to keep Pixar’s lights on as they transitioned from a software company to a software company that made a feature animation.
“Lasseter, grateful for Jobs’ faith in him, felt compelled to stay with Pixar, telling co-founder Ed Catmull, “I can go to Disney and be a director, or I can stay here and make history.”
Seems Lasseter is willing to give SJ more credit then Filmmaker is. I will side with Laster on this one.
so true, but don’t forget Ed Catmull, Alvy Ray Smith, Loren Carpenter and others that started Pixar in the early days. I didn’t say that SJ would actually write scripts, key frame IK rigs, or lens a Cooke 40mm anamorphic/i Full Frame SF on his Arri Mini LF but give SJ credit for recognizing value/potential and putting up the money and keeping such an awesome story telling team together.
lets not forget that woke Disney, the same company that ruined Pixar, the same company that ruined Star Wars, is the same company that is turning out all their woke crap and is the same company that fired Laster… Almost certainly SJ would be canceled if he was around today. Heck if Disney was consistent they should cancel Walt Disney the man and remove his name and image from their woke corporation for his questionable history. lets not forget Song of The South was Walt’s personal project that he produced and he spent almost 10 years brining to the sliver screen.
Cultural historian Jason Sperb describes the film as “one of Hollywood’s most resiliently offensive racist texts”
How long before Disney scrubs Walt from their history?
SJ has been accused of being a bully mainly focused on results. I bet Tim cook would pass on promoting a young SJ just has Tim Cook would pass on an early Pixar.