Is cancelation of The Acolyte. Lucasfilm appear to be pivoting back towards the big screen, shifting to just one live-action TV show a year. Now, though, third-party analytics reveals what's really going on.
Parrot Analytics measure online demand for TV shows, and their Q2 2024 Global Demand Report for the US reveals what's really going on with Star Wars - by comparing it to the MCU.
Parrot note that both franchises are seeing diminishing returns, with demand from Ahsoka and The Acolyte failing to match earlier success with The Mandalorian. Still, it's quite clear that demand for Star Wars has remained relatively steady, unlike Marvel - where demand has dropped 6.6% on Parrot's measure in the last two years. Both still overperform for Disney+ when compared to the share of the catalog; in Q2 2024, 22.1% of Disney+ demand was for Marvel or Star Wars, even though these make up only 12% of shows on the platform.
What Parrot's Analysis Means For Star Wars - & Disney+
Disney face a difficult balancing act
The picture here is a complicated one. Recent shows haven't drawn in the kind of viewership Disney hoped for; that's fundamentally why The Acolyte was canceled. For all that's the case, though, Star Wars remains in a relatively healthy position. 2025 should be a good one for Lucasfilm, because Andor season 2 promises to release on the same quality level as season 1 - if not better. The problem facing Disney, though, is that there's a need to rebalance Lucasfilm's output towards the big screen. This is certain to have an impact on Disney+'s performance going forwards.
The key, meanwhile, will be reversing the diminishing returns. Filming on Ahsoka season 2 is due to begin next year, and the latest reports suggest showrunner Dave Filoni is shifting his approach. Season 1 was entirely dependent on ILM's Stagecraft Volume technology, but season 2 is expected to deploy a variety of production techniques. These are optimistic signs, and will hopefully result in stronger performance.
Our Take On Star Wars Fatigue
The future is bright for Star Wars
Parrot's data helps understand what's really going on with Star Wars. It's encouraging news to see that demand for the franchise remains strong, in spite of all the problems Lucasfilm has faced over the last year. The challenge will be sustaining this, at a time when output is reduced. The return to the big screen in 2026, with The Mandalorian & Grogu, should then give things a massive boost. It's reasonable to assume Ahsoka season 2 will spin out of this, given both are set in the same era and presumably part of the ongoing Grand iral Thrawn story.
It's worth noting that Disney's approach to the streaming platform is changing. Both Lucasfilm and Marvel are dialing down on TV show output now; the MCU is moving to just two shows a year at the same time Star Wars is reducing to just one. With Marvel, this seems to be an attempt to avert the downwards trajectory and improve quality, while with Star Wars it's a matter of ensuring the studio manages its bandwidth. Both approaches make sense, but they will undoubtedly leave Disney+ a little more vulnerable given the importance of these franchises.
Source: Parrot Analytics
