Did you like Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again? I did! I liked it more than Season 1, and I liked Season 1! And while it ended on an anticlimactic note, it clicked enough to be excited for Season 3. Because there’s definitely a Season 3 happening. The Wikipedia page confirms that.
Nevertheless, there was some disturbing news that recently surfaced. Luminate, which tracks analytics, revealed that Season 2’s viewership was down by almost half from Season 1. I won’t go into the details, you can read more here, but this is alarming for a series that’s been praised by critics and fans. Simply put, the audience is dwindling. That is worrying if you’re an investor, right?
I’d go on to spell out doom-and-gloom here, but I think an asterisk is necessary. Because it isn’t exclusive to this show. Streaming numbers are down all around, and it’s impacting everything. Basically, people are burnt out on streaming. That’s the real story here.
Which begs the question: what does it say about the landscape when the hot commodity’s drying up? Remember that “infinite growth” isn’t real. New formats and industries come and go constantly, and even within cycles there are ups and downs. However, since Disney recently gutted its home media division, that a Disney+ series isn’t showing the same returns is alarming. Is streaming in peril?
It’s also alarming because this is bleeding into movie releases. You know how The Mandalorian & Grogu is debuting at the end of this month? It’s already on track to under-perform financially. This is despite being the first Star Wars movie in 7 years. Not even the Sequel Trilogy did as poorly as this movie’s projected to. For a franchise that redefined the modern blockbuster in the 70s and 80s, that’s alarming. But that’s because audiences are so used to streaming they’re not in a hurry to see the movie on opening weekend.
This situation feels self-cannibalizing: physical media’s struggling, so people are turning to streaming. Streaming’s too expensive and oversaturated, so the audience retention’s dwindling. Even movies, once big events, are becoming less exciting as streaming’s catching up to theatres, and that in turn is making audiences hesitant to see new releases. Combine that with theatre tickets and concessions being expensive, as well as theatre experiences being less compelling, and-my God, that piece I wrote on Dune is getting too much exposure!
Nevertheless, this is a problem. I’m not anti-streaming, but shareholders in Disney+, Netflix and the like definitely need to adjust their expectations. It sounds harsh saying this, but growth isn’t forever. Sooner or later, your product will peak, plateau or diminish. In some cases, it might even disappear. That’s a sign for reinvention. As the saying goes, “adapt, or die”.
Perhaps I’m biased because I’ve seen my own numbers plateau before. I’m fortunate that my Views are currently exploding, but that wasn’t always the case. There were months on end where I was struggling to get eyeballs on my work, and I still don’t know the secret to site traffic. But that’s okay. I’m writing this because I want to.
Now, does it suck when something I’ve worked on isn’t an immediate success? Yes. Do I wish some of my better pieces had gone viral? Again, yes. But since gaming the algorithm involves selling out, something I’m not comfortable with, I’ll take my successes wherever possible.
As for Daredevil: Born Again? Be grateful it’s been well-received! And be grateful its second season is better than its first! Many shows lose steam over time, so that this is still relevant despite a viewership drop is a major accomplishment. Isn’t that what matters?
I can’t predict the future. I’m also terrible at reading trends. But while it’s disappointing that streaming isn’t the “forever cash-cow” investors were hoping for, that it’s done as well as it has for as long as it has is impressive! So much could’ve derailed it at any time, so that it’s maintained a level of consistency for this long is a testament to, at least for now, its staying power. I only wish we had options that weren’t needlessly-expensive or siloed to different platforms because of licensing agreements...
