Despite All the Backlash, ‘The Acolyte’ Was Disney’s Second Most-Watched Show of 2024 with 2.7 Billion Minutes

TV production stayed down last year, though the decline was slower than the year before, dropping 7% from 2023, according to a Luminate report. The entertainment industry is still recovering from the impact of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which affected nearly every corner of film and TV.

Broadcast TV bounced back faster than other formats. Networks worked hard to get shows back on the air early in the year, resulting in a surprising 25% rise in production. Cable, however, struggled the most, with the original series hitting new lows, down 15% compared to 2023.

Streaming hasn’t fully recovered either. Netflix, though still leading in the U.S., produced 22% fewer series last year. Only Prime Video avoided cuts in U.S.-based content over the last two years.

Disney+ had a mix of results in 2024. While big franchises like Marvel and Star Wars underperformed, The Acolyte emerged as a standout, pulling in 2.7 billion minutes watched, making it the platform’s second-most viewed series after Percy Jackson and the Olympians (3 billion minutes).

Despite underwhelming numbers for shows like Echo and Agatha All Along, Disney+ relied heavily on these major properties to stay afloat.

Elsewhere, Netflix remained dominant, with seven of the top 10 most-watched series, including Fool Me Once and Taylor Sheridan’s Landman. Streaming franchises from other platforms saw viewership dip sharply.

Meanwhile, the number of TV episodes and total hours produced across all genres shrank by 20% last year. Comedy, animation, and unscripted shows were hit the hardest, while drama managed to hold steady. Despite these challenges, The Acolyte proved there’s still room for new hits to make their mark, despite the backlash and the abrupt cancelation.

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