‘Andor’ Keeps Going Up
One of the dirty secrets of the streaming business is that Disney+ has a problem.
The streaming service has excelled in luring subscribers, and it has started making money, too.
Photo: Ludo Studios
Alas, the streaming service hasn’t had many hits lately. There’s Bluey and…I dunno. Maybe Moana 2? Yeah, it’s been rough until recently.
Now, Andor keeps going up, and that’s the happy news Disney needs. Let’s talk streaming!
Succession Season Has Begun
Photo: Lucasfilm
I was reading an article the other day that included this quote: “He’s not the ‘Andor’ guy, he’s the ‘Ahsoka’ guy.”
The cutting comment addresses potential Lucasfilm successor Dave Filoni. He currently holds the title of Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm.
Source: wired.com
At the moment, Kathleen Kennedy remains Filoni’s boss, but the expectation is that she’ll ride off into the sunset over the next 18 months.
There’s a battle brewing within the friendly confines of Lucasfilm, as somebody is about to be the first person born after 1953 to run Star Wars.
Photo by Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com
George Lucas (81) founded the company, and then Kennedy (72) succeeded him.
Meanwhile, Star Wars fans have been screaming for new blood for about as long as I can remember.
Kathleen Kennedy
When word leaked that Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace skewed very young and wildly boring, fans turned on Lucas.
Don’t get me wrong. They totally showed up for the next two films, but they complained about Jar Jar Binks all the time.
L to R: Frank Marshall, Norman Reynolds, Kathleen Kennedy, Watts, and Lawrence Kasdan on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Photo Lucasfilm.
Friends, that was 27 years ago. That’s how long people have begged for a new vision for Star Wars.
When Disney purchased the company, they tried to accomplish just that, hiring J.J. Abrams to create a new trilogy.
Photo: Starwars.com
On the side, Disney hired Gareth Edwards, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and Rian Johnson to create a deep roster of talented directors.
That process went so well that Disney ditched Lord and Miller for Ron Howard and brought back Abrams rather than allow Johnson to make another movie.
Photo: Lucasfilm
With Edwards, Disney struck gold, as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story seemingly satisfied everyone.
The Star Wars Show People Want
Photo: Pexel.com
What lesson did Disney and Lucasfilm draw from all this? The wrong one.
Kennedy remained in power despite the disappointments of Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Photo: Disney
Then, when Disney+ was announced, Lucasfilm agreed to feed it content. Some of it was successful, and Baby Yoda sold so much merch that Disney made a huge profit.
However, the current trajectory of the Star Wars franchise, at least on Disney+, is roughly equivalent to an emergency oxygen mask deploying during a flight.
Photo: Lucasfilm
The Acolyte cost more than The Mandalorian & Grogu probably will. One is a theatrical release that will dominate the box office.
The other is a disastrous television series canceled after one season. And that brings us back to Ahsoka and Filoni.
©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
When Ahsoka debuted on streaming, it earned 829 million viewer minutes during its first week, which is VERY good.
By the show’s eighth episode, it had dropped to 575 million minutes, which means lots of people stopped watching.
Photo: Lucasfilm
Filoni wrote every episode of Ahsoka and even directed two episodes. It’s all him, and it was too Star Wars-y for casual fans.
That reality brings us to the curious case of Andor, the prequel to Rogue One that recently finished its second season.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Creator Tony Gilroy is famously NOT a Star Wars fan at all. So, he wrote a story that he felt would captivate more casual viewers. And he was right.
Andor’s second season started with 721 million viewer minutes during its first week on the Nielsen charts.
Photo: NME
Significantly, the show’s viewership increased the following week to 821 million viewer minutes.
Now, for the week of May 5th through May 11th, Andor has gone up again to 830 million viewer minutes.
The Star Wars Decision
Photo: Lucasfilm
Andor’s story clearly delivers the Star Wars content people crave. While Ahsoka’s ratings gradually eroded, this show’s ratings are increasing.
The comparison isn’t apples to apples due to their odd release patterns, yet it points to an uncomfortable truth.
Disney
Right now, Filoni doesn’t appear to have his finger on the pulse of what people want from Star Wars.
That’s worrisome for someone who may RUN the Star Wars franchise. But Filoni’s pedigree is pristine.
Disney
Lucas personally chose Filoni to collaborate with him on Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2007. At Lucasfilm, that makes him a made man.
However, should you hear that Disney goes a different way with Lucasfilm succession or forces Filoni to hold a Co-President title, that’s the reason.
Photo: Lucasfilm
Disney may not trust him completely with the keys to the kingdom. That perception prevails that he’s the Ahsoka guy, not the Andor guy.
Right now, what you really want to be is someone who gets some of the credit for Andor.
Disney
Nielsen will probably drive that point home next week with the final batch of ratings for Andor season two.
You should once again expect the numbers to increase as Gilroy finishes the story.
Disney’s Streaming Hits
Photo: Ludo Studios
Other than Andor, it was the same old, same old for Disney’s streaming hits…which is the problem.
Andor is the first legitimate Originals chart hit for Disney+ in far too long. Right now, the only thing saving the service is the depth of its content library.
Photo: Disney
Here are Disney’s top ten hits on the various Nielsen Streaming charts:
- Bluey – 875 million viewer minutes
- Grey’s Anatomy – 867 million viewer minutes
- NCIS – 699 million viewer minutes
- The Rookie – 674 million viewer minutes
- Criminal Minds – 615 million viewer minutes
- Family Guy – 577 million viewer minutes
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – 504 million viewer minutes
- The Handmaid’s Tale – 512 million viewer minutes
- Moana 2 – 248 million viewer minutes
Photo: Disney
From that list, the only two programs exclusive to Disney+ are Bluey and Moana 2.
From the meta perspective, Disney’s streaming initiative is doing phenomenally well.
Photo: Disney
When we look under the hood, Disney+ continues to struggle. Once Andor ends, it may be a while before anything else charts on Originals.
In case you haven’t connected the dots, that’s why Disney+ just improved its Perks program.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
Feature Photo: DIsney
