‘Thrones’ still at the top of its game
It’s TV viewers’ No. 1 on-demand pick of 2018.
“Game of Thrones” aired its last new episode in August 2017 and won’t return for its final season until April.
But the HBO fantasy series still was the top video-on-demand pick of 2018 among Comcast’s more than 22 million subscribers, according to data shared exclusively with USA TODAY.
“The fact that that show is still ranked No. 1 across the board when it wasn’t even current is pretty incredible. It shows just how large of a following that show has (and) how new people are still discovering it,” says Brynn Lev, vice president of editorial and programming at Comcast Cable.
The top 5 also includes NBC’s “This Is Us,” Starz’s “Power,” Fox’s “9-1-1” and ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” reflecting a broad range of broadcast and premium cable series that fans binged outside the Hulu and Netflix streaming sites, which are not factored into the results. Serialized dramas continue to be among the most popular shows for catch-up viewing.
Nine of the top 20 series first aired on a broadcast network; eight more premiered on HBO, Showtime or Starz; and just three – all reality shows – came from basic cable, demonstrating the enduring appeal of “Jersey Shore” and the Kardashians.
And there were regional differences in the 12 major markets, from Boston to Seattle, served by Comcast.
While “Thrones” ranked first nationally and in nine of the cities, Starz’s “Power” was most in demand in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
“The Sopranos,” which premiered nearly 20 years ago, remains in the top 20 nationally and in eight cities, while “The Wire” was still popular in the three mid-Atlantic cities.
ABC’s “The Good Doctor” ranked fifth nationally and made every local list except Washington, while ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” (now in its 15th season) remained a top draw in Boston, Houston, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, where it takes place.
Western drama “Yellowstone” made the top 20 only in two Western cities, Denver and Portland.
“The Simpsons,” celebrating its 30th anniversary, was a top on-demand title in Denver, Minneapolis and Portland.
Despite the increase in streaming networks and a national decline in cable subscribers, Lev says Comcast’s on-demand usage rose 10% or more from 2017, and at least two-thirds of its customers watched video on demand at some point during the year.