Data analytics firm Nielsen released their yearly data for original streaming programs and it shows that Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian saw its total minutes viewed drop around 2 billion.
The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the Child in THE MANDALORIAN, season two. © 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Nielsen shared that The Mandalorian was the 8th most watched original streaming series in 2023 behind Ted Lasso, The Night Agent, Ginny & Georgia, Virgin River, Love is Blind, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Gabby’s Dollhouse.
It bested Outer Banks and The Lincoln Lawyer.
Nielsen Top 10 Original Streaming Programs for 2023
READ: ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ Movie New Details: Dave Filoni Likely Taking Over the Script
As X user NowItsKnown pointed out when the second season of The Mandalorian debuted back in 2020, Nielsen reported that the show was streamed for 14.519 billion minutes and was the fifth most streamed series behind Ozark, Lucifer, The Crown, and Tiger King.
As many speculated #TheMandalorian (S3) underperformed (S2).#DisneyPlus #StarWars #GinaCarano@Nerdrotics @GeeksGamersCom @jftrent @doomcock pic.twitter.com/rX9rIgTwp6
— MAC (@NowItsKnown) January 29, 2024
The most damning aspect of this report is the fact that Disney+ subscriptions increased between 2020 and 2023. In The Walt Disney Company’s most recent fourth quarter report for FY 23, Disney+ subscriptions hit 46.5 million in the United States and Canada. They had another 66.1 million international subscribers for a total of 112.6 million subscribers. The company also had another 37.6 million Disney+ Hotstar subscribers. That’s a total of 150.2 million subscribers.
In the company’s 2020 annual report they reported a total of just 73.7 million Disney+ subscribers overall.
(L-R): Plazir-15 Security Detail, the Duchess of Plazir-15 (Lizzo) and Captain Bombardier (Jack Black) in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
The fact that the series saw its viewership decline despite having more subscribers indicates that The Mandalorian is not driving subscriptions to Disney+.
This is a point that financial analyst Valliant Renegade made back in September following Nielsen’s reporting on the Star Wars: Ahsoka series. He shared on X, “Ahsoka’s viewership for the premiere measured lower than that of Book of Boba Fett when adjusted for run time. That’s AWFUL. Disney+ has added millions of subs since then. None of them are signing up for Star Wars or Marvel.”
“It’s time for Disney pull the plug on those franchises (on Disney+) because the cost to benefit ratio is WAY out of whack,” he asserted. “They are spending too much money to produce mediocre crap at best that no where near enough people are watching to justify these obscene costs. #DisneyDumb.”
Valliant Renegade on X
These data points are a point of contention that Nelson Peltz has made in his proxy fight against The Walt Disney Company’s Board of Supervisors. In a press release, Peltz’s Trian Partners notes one of the main problem areas for The Walt Disney Company is streaming profitability and he wants to enact solutions in order to “target and achieve Netflix-like margins of 15-20% by FY 2027.”
The press release also points to the company having studio creativity issues and Trian wants a “board-led review of creative processes and structure to restore leadership accountability and reclaim #1 box office position w/ leading economics.”
(L-R): Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) with the Darksaber in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
These metrics from Nielsen highlight both of these issues. Obviously, the company is seemingly spending way too much on shows like The Mandalorian that do not appear to be significant drivers of subscribers and are likely decreasing margins rather than increasing them.
Second, Lucasfilm seemingly believes that taking a declining TV series and turning it into a theatrical release will somehow alleviate their creativity problems that is clearly affecting them. This is what they are doing with the newly announced Mandalorian & Grogu film that will be directed by Jon Favreau and is expected to go into production sometime later this year.
The Mandalorian & Grogu (TBA), Lucasfilm
What do you make of the fact that total minutes watched for The Mandalorian when Season 3 was released was over 2 billion minutes less than when The Mandalorian Season 2 released in 2020?
Such a disgusting disappointment that Disney allowed bad actors to interfere in Favreau’s plans but Disney I have stories that can pull you out of the grave you’ve dug for Lucasfilm.
P.S. I don’t mean Gina I mean the Jonah at Lucasfilm and the marketing department.