Black Mirror, the popular sci-fi anthology series on Netflix, has dominated the streaming charts with its sixth season premiere. According to Nielsen’s rankings, the show delivered a staggering 1.36 billion minutes of viewing time in the United States for the week of June 12-18. This marked a significant shift, pushing aside the previous week’s No. 1, Avatar: The Way of Water, which experienced a 45 percent decline in viewing time but still managed to clear the billion-minute mark across Disney+ and Max, the streaming platforms it shares rights with.
While Avatar: The Way of Water fell to third place overall, with 1.06 billion minutes viewed, SWAT took second place with 1.21 billion minutes. SWAT’s strong showing can be attributed to its availability on three popular streaming services: Netflix, Paramount+, and Hulu. Notably, the show has surpassed 1 billion minutes of viewing for four consecutive weeks. Additionally, Extraction 2, a Netflix movie starring Chris Hemsworth, debuted with an impressive 1.02 billion minutes of viewing for its opening week.
In terms of original series, Netflix’s Manifest and Never Have I Ever followed closely behind Black Mirror, with 969 million and 832 million minutes viewed, respectively. Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso continued to capture viewers’ attention even two weeks after its third season finale, garnering 529 million minutes of viewing. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds made its way into the top 10 with 338 million minutes viewed, thanks to its highly anticipated second season premiere on Paramount+.
It’s important to note that Nielsen’s streaming ratings only cover viewing on TV sets and do not include minutes watched on computers or mobile devices. Additionally, the rankings only measure U.S. audiences and do not take into account viewership in other countries.
The top 10 streaming titles for June 12-18 were as follows:
Overall:
1. Black Mirror (Netflix): 1.36 billion minutes viewed
2. SWAT (Hulu/Netflix/Paramount+): 1.21 billion minutes
3. Avatar: The Way of Water (Disney+/Max): 1.06 billion minutes
4. Extraction 2 (Netflix): 1.02 billion minutes
5. Manifest (Netflix): 969 million minutes
6. Never Have I Ever (Netflix): 832 million minutes
7. NCIS (Netflix/Paramount+): 701 million minutes
8. Heartland (Hulu/Netflix/Peacock): 678 million minutes
9. Bluey (Disney+): 669 million minutes
10. Cocomelon (Netflix): 541 million minutes
Original Series:
1. Black Mirror: 1.36 billion minutes
2. Manifest: 969 million minutes
3. Never Have I Ever: 832 million minutes
4. Ted Lasso (Apple TV+): 529 million minutes
5. FUBAR (Netflix): 503 million minutes
6. The Surrogacy (Netflix): 496 million minutes
7. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+): 338 million minutes
8. Tex Mex Motors (Netflix): 312 million minutes
9. Gabby’s Dollhouse (Netflix): 280 million minutes
10. Arnold (Netflix): 278 million minutes
Acquired Series:
1. SWAT: 1.21 billion minutes
2. NCIS: 701 million minutes
3. Heartland: 678 million minutes
4. Bluey: 669 million minutes
5. Cocomelon: 541 million minutes
6. Grey’s Anatomy (Netflix): 514 million minutes
7. Shameless (Netflix/Paramount+): 496 million minutes
8. Yellowstone (Peacock): 495 million minutes
9. The Big Bang Theory (Max): 490 million minutes
10. Criminal Minds (Hulu/Paramount+): 457 million minutes
The success of Black Mirror’s sixth season premiere serves as a testament to the show’s enduring popularity and Netflix’s strong presence in the streaming market. With its thought-provoking and often dark narratives, the series continues to captivate audiences and solidify itself as one of the most-watched sci-fi shows on the platform.
As streaming services continue to dominate the entertainment landscape, Nielsen’s ratings provide valuable insights into viewership trends. While Black Mirror secured the top spot for the week of its sixth season premiere, it will be interesting to see how other popular shows and movies fare in the coming weeks.