Is Bluey Heading to an Ending?

This week’s Nielsen streaming ratings don’t provide much intrigue on their own.

The truth is that it’s Bluey, Shogun, and not much else, although a heroine arrives next week.

Photo: Hulu

Until then, we’ll finally acknowledge the pink elephant dancing in the living room.

Is Bluey heading to the end? It’s a scary week for Team Bandit.

What’s Happening with Bluey?

Photographer: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Let’s start with the good news and an absolutely staggering statistic.

First, I’ll inform you that we’re discussing the Nielsen streaming ratings for the week of March 4^th through March 10^th, 2024.

Photo: Taylor Swift

Since Taylor Swift wouldn’t appear on Disney+ until March 14^th, we’re a week early in talking about The Eras Tour.

But the one thing we do know is that Bluey remains dominant.

Disney+

For the week in question, Bluey 1.097 billion viewer minutes for the week, which was more than any other Acquired series.

Also, Bluey finished fourth overall on streaming for the week, falling behind only three entirely new Netflix programs.

Photo: Disney+

Even then, Bluey, a catalog title, wasn’t far behind all of the other three titles despite them being new and on a larger platform in Netflix.

Folks, you will never fully comprehend how completely dominant Bluey has become in such a short timeframe.

Disney+

To wit, Bloomberg’s magazine cover this week features the simple headline, “Go Bluey!”

That’s the good news, and since I’m an optimist by nature, I’ll drive that point home a bit more before scaring you a bit.

Photo: Disney+

The big reveal in the article centers on what Bluey means for Disney+ as a streaming service.

According to this reporter, “Bluey accounted for 29% of all TV views on Disney+ in the fourth quarter of 2023.”

Photo: Disney+

As a reminder, Disney+ offers the totality of all Disney Channel content over the years plus most of the Disney Vault.

Among television programs, nearly one-third of all media consumption on Disney+ stemmed from Bluey.

No, Seriously. What’s Happening with Bluey?

Disney+

Not coincidentally, Disney has expressed an interest in purchasing Bluey, which is something of a gambit.

After all, the series consists of only three seasons, all of which are comprised of seven- to nine-minute episodes.

Despite the scarcity of this product, Disney has apparently acknowledged a willingness to pay a billion dollars or more for Bluey.

Given what you’ve read in this column over the past year, you can understand why.

Photo: English Jargon

Bluey was the second-most watched television show on streaming last year, and it’s pacing well ahead of that performance in 2024.

But something worrisome hovers in the background.

Photo: Disney

On April 14^th, the season three finale entitled The Sign will air.

Joe Brumm, the creator of Bluey, has stubbornly refused to acknowledge whether the show will continue after that episode.

Picture: Disney

Friends, I’m sorry to inform you that just as you’re falling in love with Bluey, it could end as soon as next week.

Bloomberg interviews several people involved with the project, with multiple individuals indicating that’s not the case.

Photo: Disney+

Apparently, Bluey will continue on in some form, but it may change a bit after The Sign airs. *gulp*

So, we’ve got some added intrigue as the season finale approaches in a matter of days.

Disney+

Also, we learned that Disney had the option to buy theme park rights to Bluey in 2019, but it chose not to do so at the time.

In the immortal words of Pretty Woman, “Big mistake! Big! HUGE!!!”

Photo: skillastics.com

You can understand why Disney wants to buy Bluey now. The park presence alone is likely worth billions.

As the article correctly points out, “(Bluey) is Disney to kids right now.”

Shogun Continues to Excel

For the week in question, Disney’s streaming programs claimed four other spots on the charts.

Criminal Minds, the joint venture between Hulu and Paramount+, returned after a brief absence with 489 million minutes.

Photo: Disney

Similarly, Moana sustained its momentum with another 312 million minutes.

At this moment, these two titles and Bluey represent Disney’s hottest streaming products.

Photo: The Simpsons

I’ll add The Simpsons and Encanto to that mix, as they’re generally flirting with the bottom of the top ten as well.

This past week, a new entry joined the list on Hulu. It’s Emma Stone’s Poor Things, the awards season darling.

Photo:cnet.com

Disney fans wanted to see what the hype was about, with the film earning a modest 318 million viewer minutes on Hulu. That’s…okay.

Still, that Bluey stat from earlier underscores Disney’s vital need for new content that’s viable as mass consumption.

Hulu is getting that right now with Shogun, which gained another 382 million viewer minutes for the week.

That’s excellent news for Disney, as it’s a strong indicator that viewers have stuck with Shogun.

Photo: IMDB

Also, some are discovering the program for the first time.

When Shogun debuted on the charts last week, it gained 513 million viewer minutes, but that total came from two episodes.

Photo: IMDB

We only had one new episode since then, so more people watched it and/or started watching the series in its second week.

Shogun looks like it’s going to be a steady performer and, if Disney chooses to extend the story, a potential hit akin to The Bear and Only Murders in the Building.

Photo: Hulu

Currently, the show is being positioned as a limited series, but that could easily change if it’s popular enough.

Now, we’re all waiting for next week’s numbers, as the streaming industry coronates Taylor Swift as the Queen of Media.

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Photo: Disney+