Disney+ is having a rough year. New Nielsen data, as reported by Breitbart, reveals that not a single Disney+ original series has ranked in the top 20 most-watched streaming series so far this year. The list, which covers both original and acquired programming, shows the streaming giant struggling to compete despite its massive subscriber base and iconic brands.
According to the report, Disney+’s most-watched original series this year is The Mandalorian, with 4.82 billion minutes viewed. That number falls short of the No. 20 original series on the list—Apple TV’s Shrinking, which pulled in 5.25 billion minutes. In other words, Disney+ couldn’t even crack the bottom of the top 20 with its biggest original hit.
Acquired shows carry the load
Disney+ fared slightly better with acquired content, but not by much. Only two acquired series on the Nielsen top 20 are on Disney+: The Simpsons at No. 18 with 10.2 billion minutes streamed (helped by its 816 episodes), and Bluey, which took the No. 1 spot with 22.8 billion minutes. That means out of 40 total shows across both the acquired and original rankings, Disney+ appears just twice.
The contrast with competitors is stark. Netflix places ten shows in the original series top 20, including three in the top five: Stranger Things at No. 1, Bridgerton at No. 3, and The Lincoln Lawyer at No. 5. HBO Max’s The Pitt lands at No. 2, and Paramount+’s Landman sits at No. 3. Prime Video, Apple TV, and Peacock also have multiple entries, while Disney+ is conspicuously absent.
A subscriber paradox
The failure is even more striking given Disney+’s subscriber numbers. The service has around 55 million subscribers, more than Peacock’s 41 million and Apple TV’s 19 million. Yet both Peacock and Apple TV managed to attract more streaming minutes to their original shows. The report suggests this disconnect points to deeper problems with Disney’s streaming strategy and creative direction.
Breitbart’s analysis attributes the decline to Disney’s embrace of “woke” content, which the outlet argues has led to a “creative collapse.” The article points to several high-profile theatrical failures, including Moana, Hoppers, and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, all of which “flamed out” at the box office. Meanwhile, Toy Story 5 and The Devil Wears Prada 2 were notable successes.
Old reruns beat new shows
Perhaps the most demoralizing finding for Disney is that decades-old reruns are outperforming its expensive new programming. Shows like Friends (10.6 billion minutes), Modern Family (9.8 billion), NCIS (12 billion), Law & Order (11.3 billion), and The Big Bang Theory (20.4 billion) all drew more streaming minutes than anything Disney+ has produced this year.
The report, written by John Nolte, is sharply critical of Disney’s leadership, suggesting the company has become “deranged, insulated, self-destructive, and poisoned with evil” for exposing children to drag queens, transsexuals, homosexuals, and transvestites. The language is intentionally provocative, reflecting a broader culture-war critique of Disney’s recent output.
For readers tracking the streaming wars, the takeaway is clear: Disney+ is losing the content race despite having the resources and subscriber base to compete. Whether the company can reverse course remains to be seen, but for now, the numbers don’t lie.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/08/17/nolte-not-one-disney-original-series-ranks-in-year-to-date-top-20/