Post on 02-May-2023
Global: Most Engaging Series of 2019Based on YouGov Signal’s total aggregate of digital metrics which we call appetite score*, Netflix
Originals were the most engaging series in 2019. Superhero series The Umbrella Academy was top-
ranked among the global audience, followed closely by The Witcher and Stranger Things.
1 The Umbrella Academy | 99.97
2 The Witcher | 99.96
3 Stranger Things | 99.96
4 You | 99.95
5 When the Camellia Blooms | 99.95
6 My Country: The New Age | 99.94
7 Game of Thrones | 99.92
8 3% | 99.74
9 The Walking Dead | 99.52
10 The Bachelor | 99.38
11 Modern Love | 99.32
12 Breaking Bad | 99.31
13 Chernobyl | 99.22
14 Orange Is the New Black | 99.02
15 Black Mirror | 98.97
16 Reprisal | 98.90
17 Mindhunter | 98.87
18 Watchmen | 98.80
19 The Punisher | 98.57
20 Sex Education | 98.50
*Appetite score: See more on methodology slide.
There was high digital appetite for HBO’s Game of Thrones and various Netflix Originals
across the globe.
Global: 2019 Most Popular TV Series by Territory
Canada
U.S.
Argentina
Brazil
Colombia
France
Mexico
Germany
Italy
U.K.
Sweden
Netherlands
Russia
Spain
Australia
India
South Korea
Japan
Poland
Games of Thrones
The Witcher
The Umbrella Academy
Games of Thrones
Manifest
The Name of the Rose
The Umbrella Academy
Games of Thrones
Titans
Money Heist
Titans
Game of Thrones
Titans
Games of Thrones
The Umbrella Academy
Stranger Things
The Witcher
Games of Thrones
Titans
Stranger Things
Games of Thrones
Games of Thrones
The Witcher
Stranger Things
Games of Thrones
Games of Thrones
Games of Thrones
Titans
Games of Thrones
The Witcher
A Place to Call Home
Games of Thrones
The Umbrella Academy
Games of Thrones
The Witcher
The Umbrella Academy
Stranger Things
Sacred Games
Lucifer
Mob Psycho 100
Vagabond
Kingdom
The Masked Singer
My Country: New Age
With over 337K torrent downloads, HBO’s Game of Thrones was the most pirated series*
worldwide. New series Netflix’s The Witcher and Disney+’s The Mandalorian displayed
similar appeal to the global audience.
Global: Most Pirated TV Series of 2019
Game of Thrones
337k Downloads
The Witcher
248k Downloads
The Mandalorian
236k Downloads
Chernobyl
106k Downloads
The Walking Dead
95k Downloads
*Does not include illegal streaming.
Umbrella Academy S1 Premiere
Netflix Original The Umbrella Academy was a global breakout hit in
2019. Social engagement for the superhero series more than doubled
in the days following its debut (Global Appetite Score: 48.62→99.96).
Interest and curiosity regarding the series multiplied in a matter of
days, with online searches increasing from 6.4k pre-premiere to 383k
post-premiere.
Its Instagram fanbase has also skyrocketed since launch—followers
have increased from 83k to over 1.2m.
Global: 2019’s Breakout HitThe Umbrella Academy
Global: Appetite for SVOD Brands
98
89
81
64
30
28
67
99
93
86
82
68
49
63
2019
2018
Netflix continues to be the most popular subscription video-on-demand service in the world,
but faces increasing competition from Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and newcomer Disney+.
Apple TV+ was another 2019 entrant but lost appeal among the global audience from the
year before – unlike Disney+, which increased in global appeal. Both approaching their
2020 launches, Peacock and HBO Max have experienced increased popularity since 2018.
In 2019, the SVOD market expanded as new players entered the fold
and created competition for industry leaders Netflix and Amazon Prime
Video.
Amplified streaming choices have led to American streaming
consumers being inundated with a surge of new content.
Complicating the landscape even further, SVOD services are
experimenting with diversifying their release patterns to expand their
reach and retain their audiences.
United States
99.7
98.4
93.7
99.8
70.9
79.5
55.6
50.6
99.7
97.1
93.7
70.8
62.9
23.1
18.3
27.7
2018
2019
Dynamics in the ongoing streaming war shifted with new entrants to the SVOD market in
2019. After its November launch, Disney+ surpassed Netflix to seize the top spot as the
most desirable streaming service in the U.S.
HBO Max, Quibi and Peacock’s popularity grew significantly from the year before in the
leadup to their 2020 launches.
United States: Streaming Wars of 2019
There was high anticipation for the content that Quibi is slated to offer, and its method of delivery to audiences.
Excitement surrounded series that are set to feature high-profile actors and/or celebrities - with content featuring Darren
Criss, Chrissy Teigen, Joe Jonas, Robbie Amell, and Steven Amell generating the most chatter online. Content based on
existing IP such as reboots of fan-favorite series, or titles based on popular movies and games, also resulted in
tremendous social buzz. General excitement was high for Quibi’s innovative short-form content and its release strategy,
and many expect the platform to sweep the Emmys in the short-form content categories.
United States: Sentiment Surrounding Emerging Platforms
I don’t know what a #Quibi is but I’m thrilled it’s bringing back the high class comedy of #Reno911 and wonderful weirdness of Lt. Dangle and Deputy Weigel.
@Quibi Was skeptical at first but the shows you're choosing would honestly work incredibly well with your format. I am beyond pumped.
I was reading about all the @Quibi shows and damn man I am excited? Hell Yes; hopefully quibi is going global soon so I can have it enjoy is as much as the ppl in the usa
can’t wait to get a subscription to HBO Max ONLY because that will be the streaming service friends is on
The belief that HBO Max is a worthy opponent of Disney+ and will provide a more versatile offering was rampant online.
Excitement and anticipation was widespread for all the planned DC Universe series, including Justice League Dark and
Green Lantern. Warner Bros comic-based movies and Friends being made available inspired great enthusiasm.
@hbomax In Wan We Trust!
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut Can't wait for more
of Jason Momoa and Yahya!
@hbomax Nobody's interested in these Just
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut & gain millions of
followers in a second
@TheZoneCast @peacockTV
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS OH MY GOD
YESSSSSSSSSSS I AM SO HYPED
@DaleJr @DirtyMoMedia @peacockTV This is such cool
news. Learning NASCAR history is one of my favorite parts
of the download. Will you make it available in Canada?
An appaeling aspect for the audience is Peacock’s library of classic shows. Excitement was high for key content
including the Punky Brewster reboot, continuation of A.P. Bio, the racing documentary from Dale Earnhardt Jr., and
animated series The Adventure Zone. Negative sentiment for the platform was driven by having to pay for yet
another SVOD service as well as Peacock’s poor marketing strategy, with some consumers being unable to
differentiate between the Peacock and Comcast streaming services.
1 Game of Thrones
2 Stranger Things
3 The Witcher
4 You
5 Chernobyl
6 When They See Us
7 The Mandalorian
8 3%
9 Black Mirror
10 The Umbrella Academy
Most Engaging
TV Series of 2019United States
Between the build-up to season eight and its disappointing ending, there was much to research,
dissect, and discuss for Game of Thrones fans. Online searches for Games of Thrones surpassed all
other shows by a wide margin in 2019, and searches for the show spiked with each episode release.
The premieres and finales of other series as well as special events like the Friends 25th anniversary
drove increases in online search volume.
United States: Most Searched TV Series for 2019
Game of Thrones – 8M
Stranger Things – 2.6M
Vikings – 1.7M
American Idol – 2.0M
Friends – 2.2 M
TOP 5 SEARCHED TITLES
Jan-19 Feb-19 Mar-19 Apr-19 May-19 Jun-19 Jul-19 Aug-19 Sep-19 Oct-19 Nov-19 Dec-19
GOT
S8 Premiere
Stranger Things
S3 Premiere
Friends
25th Anniversary
GOT
S8 Finale
Idol Finale
Index Search Volume – Year 2019
While veteran series like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things dominated overall social chatter,
there were many new releases that carved out their own space on social media. These debut series
were the most socially engaging in 2019, with each generating an appetite score of 99.
United States: New Hits of 2019
United States: Highly Anticipated New Streaming Series
Based on Signal’s key metric of appetite score, Amazon Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of
Time are highly anticipated amongst the online audience. Four of the five titles below are adaptations of novels
- Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, Defending Jacob and Daisy Jones & The Six – and may have
experienced high appetite scores due to previously existing IP.
01 02 03
Lord of the Rings
Amazon Prime Video
2021
Appetite Score: 98
The Wheel of Time
Amazon Prime Video
2021
Appetite Score: 87
Hunters
Amazon Prime Video
Feb 2020
Appetite Score: 85
05
Daisy Jones & The Six
Amazon Prime Video
2021
Appetite Score: 78
04
Defending Jacob
Apple TV+
April 2020
Appetite Score: 80
Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video
Cheer, a docuseries following a competitive college cheer squad, has become a surprise
mega hit for Netflix in 2020.
Anticipation and awareness of the show was low in the lead-up to its launch but with expert
social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and viral videos, series popularity has
soared since its premiere. (App Score: 33-89, +54 points) General public interest in the series has
skyrocketed post-premiere, leading to an intense rise in online searches - or increased
“cyber stalking.”
• Strong Fandom. 25% of online conversation surrounding Cheer consists of fans
discussing the show with their friends or recommending the show to others.
• Talent. Members of the Cheer squad have been active on social media, driving interest
to the show through Cheer promo content while also building their own personal brands.
Cheer: Surprise Hit of 2020
Public interest skyrockets
post-premiereCheer Premiere
Methodology
YouGov Signal’s focus is on understanding digital and social reputation, and we operate by 3 guiding
principles: Authenticity, Real-Time, and Accuracy. We automatically ingest, clean and display digital data
in our easy-to-use platform while distilling trustworthy insights into overall surrounding engagement and
opinion, and market efficacy of any entity's online presence. Signal provides the most holistic tool for
understanding your company, products, and initiative performance and surrounding emotion through:
Digital Pulse
Tracking Digital & Social Data
We monitor the full range of digital
and social data across all social
media, search and news platforms –
monitoring 46+ metrics.
Performance
Sector-Specific Industry Benchmarking
We make sense of your own sector and
performance, and those of your clients and
partners, by contextualizing and
benchmarking data against competitors.
Touch
Cutting-Edge Text Analysis
Sentiment analysis that isn’t B.S.
Manually-tagged emotional responses
ensure legitimate capture of audience
valence & sentiment.
Discover the truth, find your Signal.
Methodology: Metrics
Appetite Score – Combined IndexInsight Into: Popularity + Demand
Appetite Score is a scaled value between 0 (worst) and 100
(best) which averages and scales the most predictive publicly
available social and digital data per title per day to indicate how
well a title is performing in terms of audience demand.
Indexed Search Volume – IndexInsight Into: Public Interest
This is a relative value of daily online searches between titles. Comparable within specific territories to other titles of the same type (Brand, Movie, etc.).
Wikipedia Volume – VolumeInsight Into: Public Curiosity
The daily number of views a specific title’s Wikipedia page receives.
Twitter Volume – VolumeInsight Into: Popularity + Demand & Public Interest
The total number of tweets where a title is mentioned.
Torrent DownloadsInsight Into: Popularity + Demand & Public Interest
The number of times a movie or TV show episode has been illegally downloaded, tracked daily.
Sentiment: Positive/Negative/NeutralInsight Into: Public Feeling
The percentage of all daily sentiment regarding titles or
talent which was Positive, Negative, or Neutral. Each
segment is displayed individually. Sentiment can be further
filtered into Joy, Anticipation, Surprise, Anger/Disgust, and
Sadness.
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