How The Mandalorian’s Third Season Compares to Past Seasons
Demand for the third season hasn’t matched the first two seasons’ peaks, but it’s streaming to a different world than when the “Star Wars” spin-off premiered
After a two-year gap, demand for the third season of “The Mandalorian” is lagging behind that of the first two seasons — according to Parrot Analytics‘ data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Rather, it likely reflects how the franchise and the industry have evolved since 2019.
“The Mandalorian” clearly accomplished what it was meant to do when Disney+ launched in 2019: It was a massive cultural phenomenon that made Disney+ a must-have streaming subscription and set the service on strong footing in its first few weeks of existence. The viral cuteness of Baby Yoda sent demand for the show skyrocketing in its first two weeks. It ultimately peaked at 145 times the average series demand at its finale.
In 2021, the rollout of MCU Phase Four series began in earnest and other new “Star Wars” series like “The Book of Boba Fett” expanded that universe. These changes meant that “The Mandalorian” didn’t have to carry Disney+ like it once did.
In the years since 2019, Disney+’s competitors grew as well. As the streaming wars heated up, audiences were spread more thinly. It was always going to be more difficult to achieve the same level of attention that the first season of “The Mandalorian” managed.
Premiere demand for “The Mandalorian” by season, U.S. (Parrot Analytics)
The second and third seasons of the show averaged around 70 times the average series’ demand in their first 30 days. This is well below the demand for the first season, which averaged just below the 100 times mark.
Yet, “The Mandalorian” still packs a punch that puts it in a league above other “Star Wars” series from Disney+. So far, the season premiere that has come closest to matching demand for any season premiere of “The Mandalorian” has been the seventh and final season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” In 2020, the animated series returned for the first time since 2014 on Disney+. Six seasons of building a dedicated fan base helped the show go out with a bang and it averaged 48 times the average series demand in its first month. That’s impressive, but still well short of the latest season of “The Mandalorian.”
Demand for “Star Wars” universe series, U.S. (Parrot Analytics)
Although recent seasons have not measured up to the first, one important factor in the value of this flagship series to Disney+ is how connected it is to the rest of the service for retention purposes. In 2019, “The Mandalorian” was a breakout hit. But after audiences finished it, there was limited new content in the franchise to keep them around. Today is a different story. Multiple new series have grown the franchise, with more on the way. While “The Mandalorian” might not be grabbing the attention that it once did to get people to sign up for Disney+, its increased connectedness will help to keep subscribers sticking around.
Christofer Hamilton is a senior insights analyst at Parrot Analytics, a WrapPRO partner. For more from Parrot Analytics, visit the Data and Analysis Hub.
