With 2023 coming to a close, it gives an opportunity to take a look back at what’s been popular on Disney+ over the past year, and according to some new data revealed by Whip Media, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” was ranked as the most-watched streaming original in the United States, not just on Disney+ but across all the streaming services.

The Wrap revealed the data and was determined by the streaming original TV series with the greatest share of viewers from January 1st 2023, to November 30th 2023 of this year, among a balanced panel of U.S. users of the TV Time app.

Disney+ also picked up the second most watched original series with Marvel Studios “Loki”. The Marvel series, “Secret Invasion”, also made the top ten list, charting at number seven, while the Star Wars series, “Ahsoka”, also made the top ten list at number eight.

Two Hulu Originals also made it into the top ten, with “The Bear” and “Only Murders In The Building” proving to be popular with audiences. It’s also interesting to see that the Hulu Original series, “How I Met Your Father”, also managed to get a spot in the top 30 list, though Disney cancelled the show after two seasons.  These shows are now available via Hulu On Disney+ in the US and internationally on Disney+ as Star Originals.

While Disney+ had much fewer originals released in 2023, the power of Marvel and Star Wars continued to draw in viewers, but a reliance on these established franchises has caused issues, especially with superhero fatigue.   This is why Disney is cutting back on how many shows it releases based on these franchises, but it does need to find alternatives, hopefully with shows like “Percy Jackson And The Olympians”.

But, between Disney+ and Hulu, Disney’s original programming took six out of ten spots in the top ten, showing that their original content can prove to be a huge asset, especially as the two platforms become closer together in the US with the launch of Hulu on Disney+.  Disney is also planning on reducing the amount of original programming it makes, instead focusing on quality over quantity; it will be interesting to see if they can achieve the same viewership in 2024.

Do you think “The Mandalorian” and “Loki” were the biggest originals of 2023?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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