Although 2024 was a big win for the Bluey crew, it also came with one major change that even this dedicated viewer never saw coming. The Australian animated series was one of the most viewed programs on our screens for the longest time. However, a new development shows that Bluey might be losing her edge.
To be fair, Bluey has had some steep competition from Netflix, Hulu, Max, and even Disney+. Even so, the fact that our beloved blue dog was reportedly kenneled by an anime series still strikes a strange chord.
Was Bluey Beat?
It's no secret that Bluey has one of the largest fanbases out of any long-running TV series. Even Grey's Anatomy and Yellowstone had to kowtow to the canine in the past. A recent article from The Hollywood Reporter shares just what kind of impact the show had just last year.
The report reads,
"The 2024 streaming champion is a show that will likely almost match the record-setting year for Suits in 2023, and one that dominated TV discourse for several weeks earlier in the year. It’s also a show aimed at kids under 10. Through late November, Bluey has amassed more than 50 billion minutes of streaming time on Disney+ — that’s equivalent to more than 95,000 years. It has made Nielsen’s streaming top 10 for 112 straight weeks dating back to October 2022 and currently holds a roughly 7 billion-minute lead for this year over Grey’s Anatomy, the only other show that has charted every week."
That's all well and good, and it certainly speaks volumes for Bluey's star-power, but a recent report from ScreenRant shared analytics that showed Bluey had plummeted to number 18 on Parrot Analytics' 2024 viewing charts. Moreover, it showed that other animated series like My Hero Academia and Amazon's infamous Hazbin Hotel wore the cartoon crowns last year.
This doesn't mean Bluey bombed by any means, but it also sheds a little light on some recent developments. After all, what better way to get a beloved show back on top than with a new season... or a movie?
In this writer's opinion, it feels highly suspect that the show would fall in the rankings just before receiving a major motion picture deal with Disney. Of course, this could still be a coincidence. While there's something to be said for the show's current popularity, a little Disney magic goes a long way.
Bluey and all her friends are currently streaming on Disney+.