The Acolyte was the second most-watched original series on Disney+ in 2024, in a year that signaled changing audience trends.
Variety's recent analysis of Luminate 2024 Year-End Film & TV Report indicates franchises had a terrible year on streaming platforms. The long-running series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power struggled to attain the same viewership for Season 2, which propelled it to the top of Amazon Prime Video's most successful show with Season 1. New shows, like the Star Wars High Republic era series, The Acolyte, performed relatively well on Disney+, but Disney+, like other platforms, had less impressive numbers than in previous years.
While Network Television appears to be making a comeback after streaming platforms gave it a good run for its money during the coronavirus pandemic, the real question now is, what does this mean for Star Wars Television? Most Star Wars series struggled to bring in Earth-shattering numbers outside The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Regardless, show budgets have increased, with The Acolyte and the upcoming Andor Season 2 given massive creative freedom thanks to huge budgets.
Two seasons of Andor combined cost Disney over $600 million, with Season 2's budget at $292 million. A lot depends on how Andor Season 2 will perform, and to that front, it's important to note that Andor Season 1 is nowhere to be found on the top 10 most-watched shows on Disney+ in 2024. The Mandalorian features twice on the list, with Season 1 and Season 3 still clocking views years after their initial release. The list also features Ahsoka Season 1, The Bad Batch Season 3, and Skeleton Crew.
The abrupt cancellation of The Acolyte after one season and the uncertain fate of Skeleton Crew left fans wondering about the future of Star Wars on Disney+. Meanwhile, The Mandalorian Season 4 remains shrouded in mystery, but its return is more crucial than ever for the streaming platform.
With Andor Season 2 on the horizon, the stakes are higher than ever, but if the show performs badly, Disney may have to rethink its Star Wars strategy. This is suggested in Luminate's report:
"Despite a promising start, the Star Wars series The AcolyteLuminate.
was canceled by Disney and Lucasfilm shortly after its first-season finale.
While mixed fan reactions were likely a factor, viewership for the show had
waned, with significant decreases after the first two episodes and into the
finale. And Star Wars: Skeleton Crew hasn’t fared much better. With only one
live-action Star Wars series set for 2025 (Andor Season 2), Disney should
consider retooling its strategy to address the franchise's diminishing
returns."
While at one point, Disney+ appeared poised to compete with biggies such as Netflix, things seem bleaker now. The Acolyte was promoted well, but perhaps, the series was released during the wrong window. Maybe Lucasfilm should've waited till the conclusion of one era of Star Wars, such as the sequels, or the New Republic era, before launching a new one like the High Republic. Whatever the case, a lot rests on Andor Season 2. The series features a returning cast from Season 1, as well as stars from their billion-dollar success, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
With so much invested in Season 2, Disney should ramp up promotion and let everyone know about the show. Andor Season 2 is set in one of the greatest eras of Star Wars, the show should be well received, but there's a need to admit that the push to "subvert expectations" may have backfired. If a well-known face or cameo can help a show gain more eyeballs, 9 out of 10 times, Lucasfilm should go for it. These shows need to do well because so many people work hard on them for months, and a cameo or two shouldn't be something to frown at if it means everyone's hard work can get more attention.
Perhaps The Acolyte should've gone hard for fans who wanted more of Darth Plagueis instead of saving him for the end of Season 1. Of course, stories need to be built slowly, but maybe audiences aren't down for this strategy anymore. After all, audiences devour seconds-long TikTok videos, Reels, and YouTube shorts. How can we expect them to sit through several episodes to get to the "good stuff?" Maybe it's better to hit the ground running and get into the main plot as soon as a show starts. Skeleton Crew did a better job of this, and none of its plot points were dragged needlessly. The season finale could've been its series finale. Nevertheless, these are decisions for Lucasfilm and its writers to make.
In today's landscape, a focused approach is key. Concentrating on a few shows and eras yields better results than spreading resources thin, making a bit of everything, and hoping something sticks.
All Star Wars original series are streaming on Disney+.