Australian-made animated series Bluey was the most streamed show in the US in 2024, topping Nielsen’s annual year-end streaming charts, released this week.
US viewers watched 55.62bn minutes of the 7-minute show on Disney+ according to Nielsen’s reporting, just shy of the all-time yearly record of 57.7bn minutes set by Suits in 2023.
The Nielsen numbers cap a massive year for Bluey, which never fell off the top ten on streaming charts and ended 2024 by announcing a full-length movie, due to hit cinemas in 2027.
It was bittersweet news for fans, with the show’s creator, Brisbane animator Joe Brumm, revealing in a blogpost soon after the announcement that while he would write and direct the movie adaptation, he was stepping away from the TV series. A fourth season has yet to be announced, but when questioned about the show’s future last April, Bluey producer Sam Moor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is not the end for Bluey. I’m sure we have many more surprises in store for you.”
A spokesperson for ABC (who originally co-commissioned the series with BBC, and who is the Australian streamer) also confirmed: “We have no plans to end the show.”
A fair chunk of Bluey’s extraordinary 2024 streaming numbers can be attributed to its hugely popular season three finale The Sign, a 28-minute special episode released in April. According to Disney+, the Sign drew 10.4m views globally in its first seven days of availability, making it the most-viewed Disney Junior episode premiere ever.
The storyline, in which the family of blue heelers prepare for the wedding of Uncle Rad while struggling with the decision to sell their home and move to another city, captured the hearts of parents and kids. In Australia, it even spawned three special-edition Bluey-themed $1 coins.
Bluey’s Nielsen numbers reflect a broader trend in streaming: the dominance of “library series”. As in 2023, the top 10 titles in Nielsen’s 2024 year-end chart are all long-running shows with huge back catalogues. Grey’s Anatomy finished second with 47.85bn minutes, with other top 10 contenders including Family Guy, NCIS and Law & Order: SVU.
The Netflix series Bridgerton was the top original series of 2024, with 21.42bn minutes of viewing, concentrated around the release of season three in May and June. Prime Video’s Fallout, with 11.95bn minutes, was the top new series.
