Vince Gilligan’s ‘Pluribus’ Breaks Notable Apple TV Record, Overtakes ‘Severance’

Apple TV’s new drama Pluribus has set a record as the platform’s most-watched drama series of all time, surpassing Severance Season 2.

The series, created by Vince Gilligan, the mind behind Breaking Bad, launched globally across Apple TV’s more than 100 territories, with strong viewership in the U.S., UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Mexico, India, and France, according to Apple TV.

The show stars Rhea Seehorn and premiered with two episodes on Friday, November 7. In the U.S., the series’ success has been confirmed by Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings, which tracks minutes watched for drama premieres over the weekend.

While full Nielsen data will take a few weeks to release, Luminate reported that Pluribus logged 6.4 million hours viewed during its first seven days in the U.S., placing the series at #4 for the week, despite the other top shows having significantly more episodes available.

There has also been anecdotal evidence of the series’ popularity, with reports of the Apple TV app crashing due to high demand shortly after the first two episodes were released.

“Rarely has keeping the secret of a show we love so much been as fun or as rewarding an experience as it has been with Pluribus,” said Matt Cherniss, Apple TV’s head of programming.

“Vince’s strikingly inventive premise blew us away from the second we read it, and witnessing the brilliance with which he has brought this series to life is truly remarkable. It’s a thrill to watch audiences worldwide get hooked on this thought-provoking, insightful and darkly funny show rooted in humanity by an exceptional cast led by the talented Rhea Seehorn. And we can’t wait for viewers to dive deeper into the mystery.”

Join us, Carol.#Pluribus premieres November 7. pic.twitter.com/x5k5FXJ0JU

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) October 9, 2025

The fourth episode of Pluribus, titled Please, Carol, is set to air on Apple TV on November 21, 2025. New episodes will continue to release every Friday through December 26.

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