New record for Paramount+ service
The premiere episode of Paramount Studios’ Halo adaptation was a ratings success, drawing in a huge audience and giving host streaming service Paramount+ its highest viewing figures since its launch back in March 2021.
As reported by Deadline, the new show — which debuted on March 24 — became the most-watched Paramount+ show in its opening 24 hours, surpassing the record held by the pilot episode of Kevin Costner’s western series, Yellowstone. While Paramount has not revealed exactly how many viewers tuned in for Master Chief’s escapades, Yellowstone‘s record stood somewhere in the region of 4.9 million viewers.
“Bringing Halo to life as a streaming series has been one of the most rewarding efforts for Paramount+ to date and we could not be more thrilled at the massive fan response to the series’ debut,” said Paramount+ Chief Programming Officer Tanya Giles. “Along with our phenomenal partners at Showtime, 343 Industries and Amblin Television, we cannot wait for fans to experience more of this incredible universe.”
Of course, the real test is how many viewers will stick around for the remainder of the series. While the first episode pulled in plenty of eyes from Halo fans in particular, video game fans in general, and the morbidly curious, the real test in seeing whether the show has the magnetism to keep those numbers riding high as it rolls out forthcoming episodes and the already confirmed second season.
Xbox Game Pass users were given a free trial of Paramount+ with which to watch the show. The true test pertains to retention, and whether these “free” viewers will now stump up the Paramount+ subscription fee to enable them to continue their journey with Cortana and co. We shall see.
