9 months of streaming TV data show the most popular franchises on Netflix, Disney+, and more major platforms

"The Mandalorian"Disney Plus

• Insider analyzed nine months of TV demand data from Parrot Analytics.
• Two shows, "Stranger Things" and "The Mandalorian," were the most consistently popular.

With so many platforms in the streaming space, exclusive and popular IP is essential for media companies looking to get a leg up on the competition.

Insider regularly looks at the biggest TV shows available to stream, through data from Parrot Analytics. The data firm measures audience demand, which reflects the engagement with and interest in a TV show.

The company has provided Insider with plenty of data during the streaming boom of the last few years, including a monthly ranking of the top nine most in-demand original streaming shows in the US for each of the last nine months (since July 2021). The rankings are based on how much more in demand the show is than the average series in the US.

Insider analyzed that nine months of streaming data, and some points stood out:

• Netflix's "Stranger Things," Disney+'s "The Mandalorian," and HBO Max's "Titans" were the most consistently popular original streaming shows in that time period, appearing on every ranking.
• NBCUniversal's Peacock was the only major streaming service that didn't have a series make any of the rankings in that time, suggesting it's lacking popular franchises.
• HBO Max's DC Comics-based TV shows were essential for the service, with three of these series appearing in the rankings, including "Titans."
• Genre series based on preexisting material dominated the data, from superhero shows to fantasy and sci-fi. But some non-genre series also broke through thanks to positive word of mouth, like Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" and Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building."

There are of course other metrics to determine popularity. Netflix releases its own rankings of its most-watched shows and movies every week based on viewing hours, for instance. The streamer's biggest show ever based on global viewing hours, the Korean hit "Squid Game," peaked at No. 2 on Parrot Analytics' rankings in October, suggesting global audiences may have been more engaged with the series than US audiences.

But Parrot Analytics' data gives a good sense of the type of content that is driving substantial buzz for the major streaming services, even if that doesn't necessarily reflect viewership figures.

Below are details on the most in-demand original shows on every major streaming service from July to March: