Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Achieves Major Success, Reaches Top Spot on Disney Plus Globally

Recent analytics indicate that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has reached a remarkable achievement by becoming the top TV show on Disney+ globally. In 2024, the Star Wars franchise faced challenges, notably with The Acolyte, which was meant to rejuvenate the series but instead left fans feeling split. Although there were concerns regarding Skeleton Crew not breaking into the top 10 streaming shows in the United States, recent data suggests a potential turnaround.

Insights from Flix Patrol reveal that as of January 2, Skeleton Crew is now the leading Disney+ show or movie worldwide. The impressive viewership trajectory is noteworthy, especially as it surpasses popular titles like Deadpool and Wolverine. Furthermore, the viewership trend over the past week, as reported by Flix Patrol, shows a positive trajectory.

It’s important to acknowledge that Skeleton Crew faced tough competition from other streaming platforms during this timeframe, managing a #15 ranking overall. Below is the list of the top fifteen shows across all streaming services.

Title	Number	Streamer
Beast Games	1,032	Amazon
Fly Me to the Moon	968	Apple
Squid Game	930	Netflix
Secret Level	872	Amazon
wolf	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+

Interpreting Skeleton Crew’s Viewership

Following the release of episode 6, Skeleton Crew’s viewership surpassed that of Deadpool & Wolverine on Disney+. Disney strategically chose to release episodes during the holiday season, including a drop on Christmas Eve, and it appears this approach may have positively influenced viewership. However, the upcoming week is crucial, as it will provide insights into whether holiday viewers remain engaged with the series, and the weekend’s performance will also be telling.

Notably, Flix Patrol’s analytics highlight a critical point often overlooked in discussions about viewership: many reporting services primarily focus on the U.S. market. Given that streaming platforms have a global footprint, decisions regarding Skeleton Crew‘s future will likely consider its worldwide performance.

Will There Be a Season 2 of Skeleton Crew?

Decisions regarding a potential renewal will largely hinge on profitability. With an estimated budget of approximately $136 million, Skeleton Crew lines up with similar franchises such as The Mandalorian, which had a reported budget of $120 million in its inaugural season back in 2018. However, context is crucial—many budget comparisons neglect to adjust for inflation, which significantly alters the cost landscape among various Star Wars shows on Disney+.

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

Observing the cost trends, it’s evident that later seasons of The Mandalorian are becoming progressively less expensive, possibly due to the reuse of established assets. A future season of Skeleton Crew is likely to follow a similar pattern. This shows that while a second season remains uncertain, the direction of viewer engagement is positive, the series maintains a solid reputation, and cost comparisons may not be as unfavorable as initially perceived. The future remains to be seen.

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