‘Zero Day’, ‘Reacher’, and ‘The White Lotus’ Shine in Nielsen Streaming Charts

Political thrillers are very popular right now, according to the latest Nielsen streaming charts. For the week of February 17 to 23, shows like Zero Day, Reacher, The Night Agent, and Paradise were among the most-watched titles.

Zero Day, starring Robert De Niro, was the most-watched show, with 1.84 billion minutes streamed. Nielsen reports that people over 50 made up 63% of the audience.

This is impressive because Zero Day managed to beat Reacher Season 3, which also premiered that week. Reacher had 1.81 billion minutes viewed, making it the second-best week for the series since it started in 2022.

Nielsen says 78% of Reacher’s viewing time came from its three new episodes. Meanwhile, Zero Day had six new episodes, which may explain why it took the top spot. However, Reacher has 16 other episodes, giving it a long-term advantage. Also, 58% of Reacher viewers were male, the highest percentage among the top 10 shows.

While Paradise and The Night Agent did not make the overall top 10, they were still popular in the streaming originals category. The Night Agent was in eighth place with 619 million minutes viewed, and Paradise was in ninth place with 502 million minutes.

Other shows also performed well. Severance remained on the streaming originals list with 649 million minutes, while The White Lotus returned with 736 million minutes. The White Lotus had just released Season 3, and the numbers include views for both the first and second episodes, though only a few hours counted for the second episode.

Peacock had a reason to celebrate too. Saturday Night Live made its first appearance on the Nielsen streaming charts. The show’s 50th-anniversary special brought in many viewers, leading them to watch other episodes from Season 50. Nielsen reports that 68% of the streaming time was spent on Season 50 episodes. Also, 54% of viewers were between the ages of 18 and 49.

Overall, political thrillers are dominating streaming right now, and classic shows like Saturday Night Live are still drawing big audiences.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!