WandaVisionon Disney+ has just become the most popular TV series in the world. Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, the show debuted its first episode on the streamer on Jan. 15. After premiering to strong numbers, the hit Marvel Studios series has only seen an increase in viewership with each subsequent episode, now becoming the world’s most in-demand TV series just four weeks after it began.
This information is determined withdata collected by Parrot Analytics, an audience attention measurement system that analyzes social media, fan ratings, and piracy information to represent audience demand. Initially bouncing between the No. 7 and 35 spots worldwide,WandaVisionbegan to near No. 1 by the time its third episode was released. When episode five dropped on Feb. 5, the show officially surpassed all others to become the “number one series worldwide.”
Part of this success has been attributed to the strategy of releasing episodes weekly as opposed to the entire season at once. BecauseThe Mandalorianonly grew more popular as its first two seasons progressed, Disney’s tactic of utilizing the same release strategy forWandaVisionis proving to pay off. IfWandaVisionhad been madeavailable for fans to bingein a single day, its popularity may have spiked initially only to quickly taper off.
“When we see a binge release series like we do onNetflix, we’re seeing demand skyrocket at first for like a week,” explained Wade Payson-Denney, insights analyst, Parrot Analytics. “They really pop up at first but quickly trail off. It’s a quick hit for these streamers. Whereas with weekly release, we see popularity gradually build over time, especially for a show likeThe MandalorianandWandaVision. It really keeps these shows in the conversation for longer.”
WandaVisionwas created by Jac Schaeffer, who also serves as head writer with Matt Shakman directing. Set after the events ofAvengers: Endgame, it has Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their roles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Wanda Maximoff and Vision. The pair are living in a sitcom-like world in the town of Westview, New Jersey, as they attempt to conceal their true natures. The series pays homage to several classic sitcoms likeFull HouseandI Love Lucyand pokes fun at various television tropes.
Marvel have also enjoyed seeing other characters from the MCU appearing in the series, such as Randall Park as Jimmy Woo and Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis. Based on their chemistry onWandaVision, there have been many calls from fans for anX-Filesstyle spinoff following these two characters investigating strange cases together. Seeing the spinoff happen isn’t outside of the realm of possibility, as both Park and Dennings have suggested they’d be open to doing the hypothetical show.
You can watchWandaVisiononDisney+. The first six episodes are currently streaming with three episodes left to go for the season. New episodes are made available on the streaming service every Friday with the finale scheduled to arrive on March 5. This news comes to us fromForbes.
