‘No one wants this’ top show on new streaming rankings in the universe
In the streaming landscape, it’s been virtually impossible to get a true sense of the relative popularity of TV shows and movies.
Netflix, of course, publishes its own rankings based on total views, while Nielsen’s U.S. viewership measures across multiple streamers. But because of Netflix’s sheer size — it had more than 282 million subscribers at the end of the third quarter — it tends to dominate Nielsen ratings.
So what if streaming viewership were weighted by the size of each platform? That is the idea behind a new ranking developed by consultancy Owl & Co. For the month of October (September 27 – October 24), the company ranked original series based on Luminate’s Streaming Viewership data, which includes original and library shows and movies. in the US and is based on a panel of 2.5 million homes. (Revelation: Variety and Luminate are both owned by PMC.)
The rankings, calculated by dividing views by each platform’s reported or estimated subscriber base, deliver what Owl & Co. founder Hernan Lopez calls “in-universe ratings,” which he says is a nod to the days of Nielsen’s In-Universe Ratings for Cable TV. The new metric also provides a “Live+28 days” look at streaming, which compared to one-week measurements would smooth out the spikes in favor of Netflix’s binge release strategy.
The findings: Netflix’s hit comedy “Nobody Wants This” was No. 1 for the period, with an in-universe score of 20.4. The rom-sitcom, created by Erin Foster and produced by 20th Television, has been renewed by Netflix for Season 2. That’s after all other networks and streamers in town originally passed on the show, according to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.
The calculated “in-universe rating” of 20.4 means “Nobody Wants This” almost certainly qualifies for the WGA’s success-based bonus, Lopez said. That provision of the WGA contract struck with studios last fall entitles writers to bonuses if streaming programs are watched by 20% or more of a service’s domestic subscribers in the first 90 days after release.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Owl & Co. rankings showed that the No. 2 show was Taylor Sheridan’s second season “Tulsa King,” starring Sylvester Stallone, on Paramount+. At No. 3 was Apple TV+’s second season “Shrinking,” starring Jason Segel, Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford. Next up were Apple TV+’s “Bad Monkey” and “Slow Horses” S4, followed by Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” on Netflix and Apple TV+’s “Disclaimer” (which had an in-universe rating of 11. 2).
The list also shows that seven streaming originals had double-digit in-universe ratings, four of which were on Apple TV+. That result is “refreshing,” Lopez says, and something rarely seen outside of sports in Nielsen ratings. Before joining Owl & Co. launched, he was the founder and CEO of podcast company Wondery (now part of Amazon) and before that he was CEO of Fox International Channels (now part of Disney).
Here are Owl & Co’s weighted rankings. of the top 20 original streaming series for October:
Lopez noted that the new rankings in the Owl & Co. universe. is “a work in progress” and that the company will continue to develop it “only if there is strong interest.”
RELATED: TV’s New Big Four: Netflix, YouTube, Disney and Amazon Dominate as Streaming Wars Enter New Phase
