Nielsen has released figures for the Top Ten original streaming programs for the week of June 7th, and as you would expect Disney+ and Marvel showLokiappears on the list, managing to land in third place. The number one and two spots were taken bySweet ToothandLuciferrespectively, but fans of the God of Mischief should not be too downhearted by this, because with a little bit of trickery - or looking deeper at the numbers behind the top three shows - it is clear to see that there is only one winner on the list.
According to the full figures on the report,Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston, broke the top three with 731 million minutes streamed during the week againstSweet Toothin first place with 1434 billion minutes in the same time period. However, the huge difference is thatLokimanaged to clock up its numbers from a single 50 minute episode, whereasSweet Toothhad eight hour-long episodes available to share its mega-audience figure between. While there is no doubt that future releases of the chart will most likely seeLokilanding the top spot, to see the show easily seeing off the likes ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, which was fourth with 422 million minutes, andLupinin fifth with 237 million, with just one single episode, is a sign of the mighty force that Disney and Marvel are bringing to the table with its MCU series'.
WhileLokiis now heading into its final episode, and viewer numbers are building massively as its conclusion draws near, the series will likely be at the top of the streaming chart for a while to come. It should also be considered that with theWhat if…?series coming very soon, to be followed by the likes ofMs. Marvel,Hawkeye,She-Hulkand more, the current Netflix dominance of the top ten could be about to become a thing of the past.Black Widowhas opened this weekend and is certain to blow away all post-pandemic box office records, proving that the pull of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is as strong as ever.
Following on from the success ofWandaVisionandFalcon And The Winter Soldier,Lokihas seen Marvel’s Disney+ series' performing almost identically to their movies. Their opening gamble withWandaVision’s sitcom format paid off, but since then audience numbers have just continued to grow and grow, withLokinow expected to dwarf what was originally thought to be an outstanding performance by its predecessors. If Marvel can maintain and build on what has been released so far, they are going to prove to be just as formidable in the TV arena as they are on the big screen.
TheLokifinale arrives on Disney+ on Wednesday, July 14th, after which many fans are almost certain that the elusiveSpider-Man: No Way Hometrailer will finally be released. Whether that turns out to be true or not, we now know that the first season of Marvel’sWhat If…?will be arriving on Disney+ on August 11.
