Viewer Insights: Did Daredevil: Born Again Live Up to the MCU Hype?
Examining the Streaming Success and Viewer Engagement of Marvel's Latest Series: A Deep Dive into Disney+-MCU Series Performance Metrics.
Good afternoon! In this edition of our bi-weekly Data Analysis series, we will be examining the viewership statistics of several Marvel television shows.
P.S. Our Data Dump article that comes out on Fridays will be released on Sunday alongside the weekly Streaming Guide this week. We’ll call it a fun double-feature.
Before the Numbers Come Out
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Marvel Studios adapted its strategy to rely more heavily on its Disney+ streaming service, leveraging its Marvel IP to enhance this growing platform.
This shift led to the greenlighting and release of the first wave of MCU series on Disney+, including WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki.
Comparing these initial shows is challenging, as Disney selectively controlled the information it released. Unlike Netflix, which often shares detailed metrics, Disney opted to manage its data release. After the premiere of Loki Season 1, IGN reported it as the most-watched premiere on the service, surpassing both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, without precise metrics, meaningful analysis remains difficult. Nielsen supported this claim, indicating that Loki garnered 731 million minutes of viewing time, significantly exceeding WandaVision's 434 million and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's 495 million.
Marvel remained selective in announcing metrics for its MCU series following the releases of Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. While market research firm SambaTV tracked these releases and reported its own metrics, our focus is on the viewership data provided by Disney.
Statista collected SambaTV’s viewership reports and charted them out, you can see it below:
Analyzing the Sparse Data
Disney finally provided additional metrics following the premiere of Loki Season 2, which attracted 10.9 million viewers within three days.
The next internal data on a Marvel premiere came from X-Men '97, a continuation of the 1990s animated series. According to TheWrap, the series garnered 4 million views in its first five days on the platform.
Marvel informed Deadline that the first episode of Agatha All Along achieved 9.3 million views in its first week.
The most recent Marvel-Disney+ series is a continuation of Netflix’s Daredevil and the Defenders universe, now more integrated into the MCU's storyline. According to Mouse House and corroborated by Variety, the premiere of Daredevil: Born Again attracted 7.5 million viewers in its first five days, leading me to wonder how it compares to other Marvel project premieres. Every media outlet is running with this metric, and Disney hasn’t released anything contrary, so I’d assume it’s fairly accurate.
The viewership comparison of Marvel-Disney+ series reveals varying levels of audience engagement. Loki Season 2 led with an impressive 10.9 million viewers within its first three days, indicating strong anticipation. Following closely, Agatha All Along attracted 9.3 million viewers in its first week, averaging about 1.33 million viewers per day. Daredevil: Born Again garnered 7.5 million viewers in its first five days, translating to approximately 1.5 million viewers per day, though it ultimately fell behind Loki. Meanwhile, X-Men '97 had the lowest viewership, with 4 million viewers in the first five days, averaging around 800,000 viewers per day, suggesting a more niche audience. Overall, Loki demonstrated peak interest, while Agatha maintained decent engagement, and Daredevil: Born Again earned a good debut, with X-Men '97 appealing to a dedicated but smaller fan base.
Loki Season 2: 3.63 million viewers per day (first three days)
Daredevil: Born Again: 1.5 million viewers per day (first five days)
Agatha All Along: 1.33 million viewers per day (first week)
X-Men '97: 800,000 viewers per day (first five days)
Examining the internal data of Disney+ and its releases is crucial for understanding audience engagement and the overall success of Marvel’s content strategy. Disney tends to self-report viewership metrics primarily when they are particularly impressive, which can create a skewed perception of performance. This selective transparency makes it challenging to gauge the true reception of the various series. For instance, Daredevil: Born Again debuted with 7.5 million viewers in its first five days, translating to an average of 1.5 million viewers per day. While this figure is respectable, it pales in comparison to the viewership of other Marvel series Loki Season 2. The mixed reporting approach raises questions about how Daredevil: Born Again’s performance fits within the broader context of Marvel's offerings, highlighting the need for more consistent and comprehensive data to draw meaningful insights.
Ultimately, the Daredevil premiere isn’t a weak opener. Reporter Kasey Moore shared insights that convinced me it performed pretty-well:
“Given that Disney+ uses the same methodology as Netflix, that would've made the show rank fourth on the English TV chart last week,” tweeted Moore.
P.S. I find it fascinating to analyze when companies self-report their streaming data. It leads me to believe that, unless a company shares specific metrics, the content likely attracts only an average audience. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back on Sunday for a double feature: our weekly Data Dump article, where we analyze broadcasting and streaming data, and our Streaming Guide, highlighting the content arriving on streaming services next week!
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