Summary
The Acolyte, Disney’s newestStar WarsTV show, may be being review-bombed - but new viewership data gives a sense of what’s really going on. TheStar Warsfandom has always been prone to division, but Leslye Headland’sStar WarsDisney+ TV show seems to have become a massive flashpoint.The Acolytehas been review-bombed on Rotten Tomatoes; the audience score there now stands at an improbable 14 percent (lower than the ill-fatedStar Wars Holiday Special).
New viewership data fromVarietygives a sense of what’s really going on, though. Provided by Luminate, this data shows the minutes watched of every streaming original TV show over the period from June 7 to June 13. It’s largely a boost for Netflix, butThe Acolyte’s performance is very interesting indeed.
1
3
589 million
432.3 million
36%
2
581.2 million
1.1 billion minutes
-46%
566.4 million
34.2 million
1,556%
4
513.1 million
5
435.2 million
104.7 million
316%
6
380.5 million
210 million
81%
7
314.3 million
439.7 million
-29%
8
299.8 million
714.6 million
-58%
9
198.9 million
287.1 million
-31%
10
177 million
255.3 million
What Does This Viewing Data Tell Us About The Acolyte?
It’s a mixed picture for the Disney+ TV show
The real winner of the week here is, of course, Netflix - but it’s important to note that Netflix TV shows are boosted by this specific metric. The streaming giant release multiple episodes at a time, whereasThe Acolyte- the only entry from any other streaming service - only dropped a single episode last week. This meanswe’re effectively comparing four episodes ofBridgertonseason 3 to just a singleStar Warsepisode; it’s not like for like.
The next qualification is in terms of the period covered. Luminate’s data runs from June 7 to 13, meaning it covers the weekend afterThe Acolyteepisodes 1 and 2. It’s reasonable to assume a lot of viewers waited until the weekend to check out the latestStar WarsTV show. We won’t really get a measure of the show’s success until there’s more data. Even a comparison of weekends 1 and 2 won’t be representative, because the premiere dropped two episodes and only one released last week.Disney’s release schedule seems almost designed to obfuscate.
Still, Disney will be quite pleased withThe Acolyte’s performance here.The Acolyteis literally the only non-Netflix show to appear in the top ten for that period, suggesting it’s a success. The scale of that success will become clear over the weeks, as we get a sense of whether viewers stuck around or dropped off.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
