‘Masters of the Universe’ Just Beat Every Single Show and Movie on Streaming

Box office disappointments rarely get a genuine second chance to prove themselves, but streaming has increasingly become the place where underperforming theatrical releases quietly find redemption. Few recent examples illustrate that shift as dramatically as Travis Knight’s live-action take on the classic Eternia franchise.

‘Masters of the Universe‘ opened in theaters back on June 5, grossing just under $114 million worldwide against a hefty $170 million budget, a result that fell well short of what a film with that price tag typically needs to be considered a success. Weeks later, the film made the jump to Prime Video, and the story completely changed.

According to Nielsen’s streaming ratings for the week of July 20 through 26, ‘Masters of the Universe’ was the No. 1 most popular title across all of streaming, not just on Amazon’s own platform, but across every competing service combined. The film generated a staggering 1.17 billion minutes of watch time during that single week alone.

To put that number in perspective, only one other title managed to cross the billion-minute threshold that same week: HBO Max’s ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ which pulled in 1.12 billion minutes. Beating out one of the most reliably rewatched sitcoms in television history speaks to just how significant this streaming turnaround has been for a film that couldn’t find its footing at the box office.

That momentum has proven anything but a one-week fluke either. The movie has since held the number one spot on Prime Video’s daily top 10 charts for nearly a month straight, and for the week of August 3 through 9, it once again ranked as the most popular film worldwide among all Amazon MGM-produced titles.

Part of what makes this turnaround so notable is that the film wasn’t exactly a critical disaster to begin with. ‘Masters of the Universe’ currently holds a 67 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site’s consensus praising it as “a delightful adventure that finds the humanity in He-Man” thanks to its “self-deprecating script and spirited cast.”

Where the film has really connected, though, is with everyday audiences, who’ve awarded it a considerably stronger 86 percent score. That kind of gap between critical reception and audience enthusiasm often signals a movie built more for pure entertainment value than awards consideration, and streaming data suggests that approach has paid off in a major way.

Some have described the movie as “a love letter to Gen X,” a framing that helps explain why it may have struggled to translate into a massive theatrical opening but found such an eager audience once it became available to stream at home. Nostalgia-driven properties like this one often thrive more in a low-pressure, rewatchable streaming environment than in a crowded summer theatrical slate competing against bigger, flashier releases.

Nicholas Galitzine stars as Prince Adam, tasked with unlocking his destiny and transforming into He-Man to defend Eternia from the villainous Skeletor, giving longtime fans of the franchise a modern, live-action take on a story many grew up with decades earlier.

With numbers this strong sustained over multiple weeks rather than a single opening surge, speculation about a potential sequel has understandably picked up. Amazon MGM has not officially announced any follow-up plans, but a streaming performance this dominant gives the studio a compelling case to continue exploring Eternia further.

For a film that seemed destined to be remembered mainly for its costly theatrical shortfall, dominating Nielsen’s overall streaming rankings, ahead of every other show or movie on any platform, represents about as strong a turnaround story as Hollywood gets these days.

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