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    Viewership of Theatrical Films Released on Streaming in Q1 2026 (First 14 Days, US, OC based on Nielsen Top 10s)


    Hi everyone,

    Here’s my ranking of theatrical films released on streaming in the first quarter of 2026. This list focuses specifically on the titles that garnered enough watch time in a given week to land at least once in Nielsen’s weekly Top 10.

    Conversely, here are the other theatrical films that entered their "pay-1" streaming window in Q1 2026 but failed to crack any weekly Nielsen Top 10:

    • A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Netflix)
    • Black Phone 2 (Peacock)
    • Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Peacock)
    • Ella McCay (Hulu)
    • Eternity (Apple TV)
    • Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie (Peacock)
    • Hamnet (Peacock)
    • Is This Thing On? (Hulu)
    • Primate (Paramount+)
    • Rental Family (Hulu)
    • Sarah's Oil (Prime)
    • Song Sung Blue (Peacock)
    • Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (Hulu)
    • The Smashing Machine (HBO)
    • The SpongeBob Movie: Search For Squarepants (Paramount+)

    by Netflixers

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    5 Comments

    2. Netflixers on

      I focused on scripted films only but I should note that “Melania” did enter one Nielsen Top 10 and I estimate it did 3M CVEs over its first 14 days on Prime, putting it at the bottom of the ranking, just below Tron: Ares.

    3. Key-Payment2553 on

      Very huge for Zootopia 2 viewership on Nielsen charts while disappointing for Wicked For Good on Nielsen

      Hoppers when it comes out on Disney+ later in June or July will see its viewerships numbers to see if it matches Zootopia 2 streaming charts

    4. dancepartyusofa on

      Anaconda is the definition of a “fine” Netflix original movie that just happened to have a theatrical run first. Also, oof, Peacock is where content goes to die

    5. MightySilverWolf on

      There is something interesting to note here. It’s common, whenever a movie flops nowadays, to say that audiences are just waiting to watch it on streaming. Conversely, whenever a movie does well theatrically nowadays, a common response is to say that it’s because it’s an event film that just has to be seen on the big screen to get the best experience.

      If all of this were true, you’d expect there to be an inverse correlation between box office performance and streaming performance i.e. movies that make a lot of money at the box office would do worse on streaming, whereas movies that bomb at the box office would do better on streaming.

      However, it seems that at best, there is zero correlation between the two; at worst, doing well at the box office actually seems to correlate with *better* streaming numbers. Surely, the arguments laid out in the first paragraph can be laid to rest once and for all, right? Like, why aren’t all the people supposedly waiting to watch *Nuremberg* and *The Running Man* on streaming showing up here? Why are *Zootopia 2* and *Jurassic World: Rebirth* killing it on streaming if their box office success is to be explained by the fact that they supposedly just *have* to be seen on the big screen and that watching them at home will lead to a subpar viewing experience?

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