May the 4th Be With You: Nielsen's Insights into the Enduring Popularity of 'Star Wars
Celebrate the iconic "Star Wars" Day with Nielsen's insights into the enduring popularity of the beloved franchise. In 2025, U.S. viewers watched a staggering 33 billion minutes (equivalent to 550 million hours) of "Star Wars" content on both linear TV and streaming platforms. Disney+ is the go-to streaming service for all things "Star Wars" since Disney acquired the franchise in 2012.
The "Star Wars" films dominated viewing, accounting for 44.2% of the total, followed by live-action shows at 38.9% and animated projects at 16.8%. Surprisingly, documentaries about the franchise only made up 0.2% of the viewing. Among the titles, "A New Hope" was the most-watched, followed by "The Phantom Menace" and "Rogue One."
The live-action series "Andor" stole the spotlight as the most-viewed show, racking up 7.4 billion minutes of watch time. Its popularity soared with the release of the highly-anticipated second season between April and May 2025, securing a spot on the Nielsen Top 10 Streaming Originals chart for six consecutive weeks. Following "Andor," "Skeleton Crew" and "The Mandalorian" were also fan favorites.
On May the 4th, 2025, fans indulged in 637 million minutes (or 10.6 million hours) of "Star Wars" content. "Andor" continued its reign as the most-viewed title, with "A New Hope," "Phantom Menace," "Empire Strikes Back," and "Revenge of the Sith" following closely behind. Nielsen's breakdown of the top 10 from "Star Wars" Day 2025 showcases the enduring appeal of the franchise.
Looking at age demographics in the first quarter of 2026, "The Mandalorian" captured the hearts of Gen Alpha and Baby Boomers, while Gen Z favored the animated series "The Clone Wars." Millennials and Gen X resonated most with "Andor," highlighting the diverse appeal of "Star Wars" across different generations.
In conclusion, the Force remains strong with "Star Wars" fans, as evidenced by the continued enthusiasm for the franchise across various content formats and age groups. May the Force be with you!