FX’s Adults is posting rare Season 2 viewership gains amid a sophomore slump impacting most streaming series recently.
Citing Disney internal streaming data, FX has revealed that Adults‘ viewership has grown more than 40% season over season across Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally over the first 12 days of release. (Both seasons were binge drops on streaming. Because of the series’ young skew, its linear ratings on FX/FXX are very small, with most of the viewing coming from streaming.)
International has been a major driver with a big increase off a small base. After modest turnout for Season 1, international viewership has doubled, up +100% for Season 2.
A programming move that appears to have played a key strategic role is the release of a standalone prequel episode, Marathon Day, a month ahead of the release of Season 2. It drove viewership for Season 1 of Adults, which has been up 50% since Marathon Day‘s July 31 debut.
Watch on Deadline
The U.S. Season 2 to Season 1 audience growth of 30%+ matches the increase of the show’s Rotten Tomatoes critics score, up 30% to 100% from 77% for Season 1.
Adults‘ Season 2 gains come as Hulu opted to cancel its similar comedy about 20something young New York professionals living together, Not Suitable For Work after one season. According to sources, Adults has performed better while also carrying a significantly smaller price tag.
In Adults, Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), Issa (Amita Rao) and Anton (Owen Thiele) are five friends crashing together in Samir’s childhood home. Created by Ben Kronengold & Rebecca Shaw, the show puts a generational lens on the wins, losses and humiliations of being in your twenties.
Produced by FX Productions, Adults is executive produced by Ben Kronengold & Rebecca Shaw, Nick Kroll, Sarah Naftalis, Jonathan Krisel, Alicia Van Couvering and Rob Rosell . Adults is produced by FX Productions.
