Apple TV’s Top Show Just Makes Nielsen Streaming Chart

In December, Apple announced that Pluribus had become the most-watched TV show in the history of Apple TV’s streaming service, although specific viewing figures were not provided. The show has recently made an appearance on industry analytics firm Nielsen’s US streaming report, landing at number 9 out of the top 10 streaming originals for the week commencing December 8.

According to Nielsen, Pluribus recorded 360 million minutes viewed during that week. Despite this achievement, Apple TV did not appear in the overall streaming chart, as the lowest entry on the list had 660 million minutes viewed. For context, the top spot was claimed by Stranger Things with over 3 billion minutes viewed during the same period.

While Apple has touted Pluribus as its most popular series ever, factors such as the secretive nature of streaming viewership data and the limited reach of Apple TV as a streaming service should be taken into account. Apple has not disclosed the exact number of viewers for Pluribus or the total number of paying subscribers they have. Additionally, the Nielsen chart only covers US streaming, while Apple’s claims are likely based on global viewership data, given the service’s availability in over 100 countries.

Pluribus’s success has led to the greenlighting of a second season, set to start production next year and potentially air in 2027. Despite not charting as high as some other Apple TV shows, like Severance season 2 and Ted Lasso, Pluribus has managed to make a mark in the streaming landscape with its debut season of seven total episodes available to viewers.