Apple TV+ has confirmed that “Severance” is the streaming service’s most popular show ever, even edging out the popular “Ted Lasso” comedy series.
As reported by Deadline, Apple confirmed that Severance had broken all Apple TV+ viewing records. The series is the platform’s most popular series ever, based on the number of unique viewers that streamed the series during the first month of the series sophomore season, which was January 17 through February 17, 2025 on the calendar.
Apple says not only is Severance attracting more eyes that any other series on its streaming service, the show is also attracting new subscribers. Apple TV+ has seen a 126% jump in subscriptions during the first three weeks of January, when compared to the same period in December 2024.
Nielsen confirms the series’ popularity, as the series second season premier grabbed 4th place on its Top 10 Originals chart for the week of January 13. The episode was only available for three days during that week. U.S. viewers watched 589 million minutes watching all available episodes of Severance. 28% of those minutes were spent watching the season 2 premiere episode.
Apple has yet to announce that Severance has been renewed for a third season, although series executive producer and director Ben Stiller recently confirmed that scripts for the third season are being written.
Stiller said he is hoping to avoid the nearly three-year delay between seasons that occurred between the first and second seasons.
Severance’s second season was delayed due to multiple reasons, including Hollywood writer and actor strikes in 2023, which excepting certain productions, halted production industry-wide. Production of the second season also saw extensive rewrites and reshoots, as the show’s production team sought to expand on the show’s word building and refine character arcs, to ensure the shows narrative continues to deliver.
Severance is believed to be one of the most expensive series in Apple’s streaming stable, as the cost per episode for season two is believed to be around $20 million per.
While Severance beating out the popular Ted Lasso is impressive, it should be noted that Lasso premiered in the early days of Apple TV+, at which time the streaming service was still struggling to attract viewers. Ted Lasso is likely responsible for many of the subscribers who are currently pushing Severance to the top.
