Nielsen Streaming Ratings: Netflix’s ‘Lucifer’ Bedevils SVOD’s Biggest Audience Since Season 3 of 'Cobra Kai’ Debuted in January

(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix’s supernatural-themed original series Lucifer was once again the most watched program on a major U.S. SVOD services for the week of May 31–June 6, attracting 1.838 billion viewing minutes, according to Nielsen.

Netflix released the second leg of Lucifer’s Season 5 campaign on May 28, and the show was the top draw for the week of May 24-30, as well. The second-week audience was the biggest for any show on the major U.S. streaming services—Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Disney Plus—since Netflix debuted Season 3 of Cobra Kai in early January.

Nielsen Weekly Rankings - May 31-June 6 — (Image credit: Nielsen)

Nielsen reported that 18-34 year-old’s accounted for over a third of Lucifer’s viewing audience during the week of May 31.=

Lucifer ran on FOX for three seasons before being canceled. Netflix brought the Warner Bros. TV series back to life for a fourth season in 2018. In June 2020, the streaming service announced renewal of Lucifer for a sixth and final season.

Lucifer was not the only program to surpass 1 billion streaming minutes for the week ending June 6. Disney Plus’ Raya And The Last Dragon garnered 1.078 billion streaming minutes, placing the film in the No. 2 spot on Nielsen’s overall ranker and No. 1 on the movie sub ranking . The family film featuring Disney’s first Southeast Asian princess had been available for viewing on Disney Plus since March via the $30 Premiere Access channel. However, it became part of the full $6.99-a-month smorgasbord on June 4.

Nielsen Weekly Rankings - Movies May 31-June 6 — (Image credit: Nielsen)

Netflix’s Sweet Tooth came in at No. 3. The eight-episode series, which launched June 4, tallied 794 million viewing minutes in the U.S. An adaptation of DC Vertigo’s eponymous comic, written and drawn by Jeff Lemire, the series was originally intended for Hulu. But two years after Hulu’s pilot production order, the series was picked up by Netflix in May 2020.

Warner Bros. TV’s post-apocalyptic family series focuses on a hybrid deer-boy who befriends a wandering loner.

Nielsen Weekly Rankings - Original Series May 31 - June 6 — (Image credit: Nielsen)

Meanwhile, Dirty John—a two-season USA Network true crime drama licensed by Netflix— took the fourth spot. The 16-episode true-crime, scripted anthology series garnered 761 million viewing minutes. The eight-episode second season of the series, Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story, launched on Netflix in June 2021 after airing on the USA network in June 2020.

Amanda Peet stars as Betty Broderick, a San Diego housewife who killed her ex-husband, Dan Broderick (Christian Slater) and his new wife Linda Broderick (Rachel Kelley) in 1989. The real-life Betty Broderick was convicted of double homicide in 1991 and received a sentence of 32 years-to-life in prison.

Season 1 of Dirty John – Dirty John: The John Meehan Story—aired in November 2018 on Bravo and starred Connie Britton as Debra Newell a single mother who fell in love with charismatic con man John Meehan (Eric Bana). In June 2018 Netflix secured international rights to the NBCUniversal two-season series. As part of that deal, Netflix gained second-window U.S. rights to the series two seasons.

According to Nielsen, Dirty John appealed to 18-64 year-olds, and skewed 70% female.