New data released by Nielsen has revealed a surprising trend in the world of streaming television shows. Contrary to popular belief, it seems that older shows are actually outperforming newer ones in terms of views.
The data, which was released for the year 2023, shows that the top show streamed was not one of the highly anticipated new releases such as Succession or The Last of Us. Instead, it was the legal drama Suits, which first premiered 12 years ago.
According to Nielsen, viewers spent a whopping 57 billion minutes streaming Suits in 2023. This is significantly higher than any other show, including those that were heavily promoted and highly anticipated. The success of Suits can be attributed to the presence of former actress Meghan Markle, who is now the Duchess of Sussex. The show is available to stream on both Netflix and Peacock, and it appears that the star power of Markle has given it a second life.
Suits is not the only older show that has been performing well on streaming platforms. According to Nielsen's top 10 list of most streamed shows in 2023, several other shows that debuted 20 to 30 years ago have made the cut. These include Gilmore Girls and Friends, both of which have a strong fan base and have found renewed popularity on streaming services.
The top 10 most streamed shows in 2023, according to Nielsen, are as follows: Suits, Bluey, NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, Cocomelon, The Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls, Friends, Heartland, and Supernatural. This list is surprising, not only because of the dominance of older shows but also because it does not feature any of the highly anticipated and heavily promoted new releases from major streaming services.
In addition to the top shows overall, Nielsen also ranks the top 10 original shows that were streamed in 2023. However, none of these shows were able to match the success of the top non-original shows. The top 10 original shows streamed in 2023, according to Nielsen, are Ted Lasso, The Night Agent, Ginny & Georgia, Virgin River, Love is Blind, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Gabby's Dollhouse, The Mandalorian, Outer Banks, and The Lincoln Lawyer.
One of the most notable omissions from both top 10 lists is the highly acclaimed HBO series Succession. The show, which has a dedicated fan base and has received numerous awards, was not able to crack into the top 10 most streamed shows in 2023. Similarly, other popular and highly anticipated shows such as The Last of Us, Stranger Things, and Yellowstone also did not make the cut.
The data from Nielsen's streaming report has raised questions about the current landscape of television and the preferences of viewers. It seems that perhaps viewers are more drawn to familiar shows and content rather than new and hyped releases. It also raises questions about the longevity of older shows, which may continue to find new audiences on streaming platforms.
As the streaming industry continues to grow and evolve, it will be interesting to see if this trend of older shows outperforming newer ones will continue. Streaming services may need to reevaluate their strategies and focus on not only creating new and exciting content but also keeping popular older shows available for viewers.
Only time will tell if this trend will continue or if newer shows will eventually overtake the popularity of older ones on streaming platforms.