Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Hits A Fantastic Milestone, Becoming The Number One On Disney Plus Worldwide

According to third-party analytics, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has broken a fantastic milestone - becoming the number one TV show on Disney+ worldwide. 2024 was a rough year for Star Wars, with The Acolyte - intended to serve as a spectacular relaunch for the franchise - instead leaving the fandom divided. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew failed to hit the streaming top 10 in the U.S., leading to some concern the show won't get the renewal it deserves.

The latest third-party analytics from Flix Patrol reveal the show is improving in terms of performance, though. Skeleton Crew is ranked the number 1 Disney+ TV show or movie worldwide for January 2 - and the viewership trend is exciting, because it ranks higher than movies like Deadpool & Wolverine. Even more pleasing, though, is the viewership trend over the last week - as seen on Flix Patrol's metrics.

It's worth noting that Skeleton Crew had massive competition from other streamers over this period; Flix Patrol indicates the show ranked #15. Here are the top fifteen on all streamers.

Title	Number	Streamer
Beast Games	1,032	Amazon
Fly Me to the Moon	968	Apple
Squid Game	930	Netflix
Secret Level	872	Amazon
Wolfs	792	Apple
La Palma	744	Netflix
Cruel Intentions	543	Amazon
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power	512	Amazon
Black Doves	490	Netflix
Dune: Prophecy	448	HBO
Blitz	426	Apple
The Instigators	378	Apple
Virgin River	359	Netflix
Cross	351	Amazon Prime
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew	349	Disney+

What Does Skeleton Crew's Viewership Mean?

The day after episode 6's release, Skeleton Crew's viewership was higher than - for example - Deadpool & Wolverine on Disney+. Disney gambled by releasing Skeleton Crew over the holiday period, with an episode even dropping on Christmas Eve, but it looks as though that decision may have paid off. The real test will be next week, because it will indicate whether any holiday viewers stuck around. Meanwhile, it will be fascinating to see how the show performs at the weekend.

Flix Patrol's data subtly makes another point that's often not stressed in the online discussion about the show's performance. Most third-party analytics only indicate performance in the United States, but streaming platforms are global, meaning this isn't an accurate representation. Disney will be looking at worldwide performance when reaching decisions about Skeleton Crew season 2.

Is Skeleton Crew Season 2 Really Likely?

Ultimately, decisions will be made in terms of profitability. Skeleton Crew commanded a significant budget, estimated to have cost about $136 million. That's commonly being compared to the likes of The Mandalorian season 1, which had a budget of $120 million back in 2018. But those calculations are typically failing to factor in inflation, which changes costs of the various Star Wars Disney+ TV shows significantly.

Show	Reported Budget	Adjusted for inflation
Obi-Wan Kenobi	$90 million	$104 million
Ahsoka	$100 million	$108 million
Book of Boba Fett	$105 million	$122 million
The Mandalorian season 3	$120 million	$129 million
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew	$136 million	$140 million
The Mandalorian season 2	$120 million	$146 million
The Mandalorian season 1	$120 million	$151 million
The Acolyte	$231 million	$231 million
Andor season 2	$290 million	$290 million
Andor season 1	$250 million	$291 million

Notice that seasons of The Mandalorian are getting progressively cheaper, likely due to the reusing of assets. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew season 2 would likely follow the same trend. All this means a second season shouldn't be ruled out; viewership is heading in the right direction, the show's reputation is solid, and the comparative costs aren't quite so high as many have reported. Only time will tell.