Netflix Dominates Most-Watched Rankings While ‘Lanterns’ Fails to Appear

The weekly ratings battle in streaming has become a focal point in entertainment, with new titles constantly vying for the top positions across various platforms. The latest viewership data, covering August 28 through September 3, highlights Netflix’s continued dominance in original programming.

According to Variety’s Boardroom rankings, which monitor estimated minutes watched across the industry, five titles emerged as the most popular that week. Netflix secured four of those five spots, with only one series from another platform making the cut.

Leading the chart was Season 3 of ‘Beauty in Black,’ Tyler Perry’s crime drama centered on the Bellarie family’s hair-care empire, which amassed an impressive 1.6 billion estimated minutes watched. This season marked the show’s biggest debut week yet, both in viewership and ranking, further solidifying Perry’s reputation for delivering reliable hits on Netflix.

Following closely was ‘Death of the Pastor’s Wife,’ a true-crime documentary series detailing the life of South Carolina worship leader Mica Miller, which garnered 1.5 billion minutes watched. This three-episode series, exploring Miller’s troubled marriage and the abuse she faced before her tragic death, has consistently topped Netflix’s global charts since its release.

The only non-Netflix title to break into the top five was Season 4 of ‘Reacher,’ which attracted 1.1 billion minutes watched on Prime Video. Alan Ritchson’s action series has proven to be a consistent performer for Prime Video, even as its Rotten Tomatoes audience score has dipped compared to earlier seasons.

Completing the list were Season 2 of Chuck Lorre’s sitcom ‘Leanne’ with 669.4 million minutes watched, followed by Season 5 of ‘Outer Banks’ at 647.8 million. Both shows have remained reliable fixtures in Netflix’s lineup, maintaining steady viewership without the breakout buzz seen with higher-ranking titles.

Notably absent from this list is ‘Lanterns,’ HBO Max’s ambitious DC Studios series featuring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as intergalactic cops investigating a murder with cosmic implications. The show had a strong premiere in August, attracting 9.3 million global viewers within its first three days and ranking among the top five HBO Max series premieres of all time, even surpassing debuts like ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ and ‘The Penguin.’

However, that initial momentum seems to have waned significantly from late August into September, as evidenced by its absence from this week’s most-watched rankings. This serves as a reminder that a strong premiere does not always guarantee sustained week-over-week success, especially in a competitive landscape filled with true-crime documentaries and returning favorites.

The overall picture clearly illustrates where audience interest currently lies: true crime and dramatic family narratives continue to attract massive viewership on Netflix, while even a high-profile superhero project with strong source material can find itself sidelined in the weekly conversation. For HBO Max, the challenge now is whether ‘Lanterns’ can regain its early momentum as its eight-episode season unfolds weekly.

With numerous new series and returning seasons on the horizon across all major platforms, these weekly rankings are likely to keep evolving rapidly, and this particular list highlights the impressive staying power of Netflix’s current offerings compared to its competitors.

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