So Much For "Succession": After a relatively slow start, HBO's "Succession" turned into a considerable hit for the premium network by its fourth and final season, easily its biggest and most hyped series since "Game of Thrones." While the Season 3 finale was seen by just under 2 million viewers on its premiere day across both cable and streaming, the Season 4 premiere jumped up to 2.3 million first-day viewers and then build on that audience throughout the season. Slow and Steady Wins the Race: The series didn't dip below 2 million single-day viewers for the rest of the season; by the time the series finale landed last week, around 3 million people were tuning in on Sunday night to check in with the Roys. While Season 3 episodes averaged around 7.2 million overall weekly views, this figure spiked to 8.7 million in Season 4. Clearly, a lot of new fans were catching up during the off-season. Apples to Apple-Shaped Oranges: It's nearly impossible to make direct comparisons in viewership between networks, streaming services, and shows, as they all release content on different schedules to different-sized audiences and then measure the results in various ways. Still, just for reference, it's interesting to point out that cable's most popular show -- Paramount Network's "Yellowstone" -- dwarfed "Succession" Season 4 in actual viewership. Beyond the critical praise and the Emmys and the memes taking over social media, even major hits for streamers still typically trail behind their broadcast and linear TV counterparts. |
