‘Severance’ Is Apple’s Most Popular Show Ever — Even Beating Out ‘Ted Lasso’
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I think we all knew that Severance was performing well with Apple TV+ viewers, and Apple has now officially confirmed that it’s the streaming service’s most popular show ever, even beating out popular comedy series Ted Lasso.
A new report by Deadline reveals that Apple TV+, which is traditionally rather close-mouthed regarding things like audience counts and such, said Severance has broken the streamer’s viewing records. The series is now the platform’s most popular ever, ranking as the all-time #1 series, based on the number of unique viewers during the first month of its second season, which ran from January 17 through February 17, 2025.
As I mentioned, Apple TV+ seldom provides viewing numbers for its shows, so this may be the closest we’ll ever see official viewing numbers.
In addition to having more viewers than any other series on the streaming platform, Apple says the show is luring new subscribers. Apple TV+ has seen a 126% increase in subscriptions during the first three weeks of January compared to the same period in December.
Meanwhile, we have independent confirmation of Severance‘s excellent performance since the Season 2 premiere. The series grabbed the number four spot on Nielsen’s Top 10 Originals chart for the week of January 13. That week includes only the first three days of availability of the Season 2 premiere on the service. US viewers spent quite an impressive 589 million minutes watching all existing episodes of Severance, with 28% of those minutes spent viewing the Season 2 opener. Those viewing numbers will likely climb as reports from the rest of the season come in.
The show will likely continue to outperform even its own viewing records between now and when episode 10 of the series (its second season finale) airs on March 21.
While Apple has not officially announced that the series has been renewed for a third season, it’s almost a sure bet, as writing on third season scripts is already underway. Series executive producer and director Ben Stiller recently told The Hollywood Reporter that work on the third season has kicked off. Stiller said he hopes to avoid the nearly three-year gap we saw between the first and second seasons of the series.
“We have long admired Ben’s extraordinary gift for original and immersive storytelling, and with he and Dan at the helm, Severance has proven to be an extraordinary success and a cultural phenomenon,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming, Apple TV+. “The series has become an obsession for audiences all over the world, and we can’t wait for people to continue to experience all the masterful twists and turns as the rest of the season unfolds.”
It should be noted that while beating out Ted Lasso to be the top Apple TV+ is quite impressive, Severance has benefited from a “Lasso effect” of bringing more Apple TV+ viewers to the fold. Ted Lasso debuted in the early days of the Apple TV+ streaming service, most assuredly bringing new subscribers to the service, which later series, like Severance, have benefited from. If Ted Lasso returns for a fourth season, as has been rumored, the series could recapture the number-one spot.
