Recently released Nielsen viewership ratings for early January show Cobra Kai at the top streaming spot, beating out fellow Netflix smash hit Bridgerton. Both series have become huge successes for Netflix, though their style and content couldn’t be more different. Bridgerton has been confirmed for a Season 2 at Netflix filming later this year, and Cobra Kai has been renewed for a season 4, which promises some major climaxes and a new All-Valley Tournament.
Cobra Kai launched its first two seasons on YouTube Premium before making the jump to Netflix. The show gained some positive notoriety on its original platform, but the limited subscriber base kept it from reaching its full potential. However, after shifting to a much larger streamer, the series exploded in popularity, with season 3 being highly anticipated months before its release and receiving widespread praise from fans when it came out. The adventures of Johnny Lawrence's Cobra Kai dojo and Daniel LaRusso's Miyagi-Do Karate have become one of Netflix's most prominent recent hits.
That popularity shows in the numbers, as newly released Nielsen ratings for the week of January 4-10 show. Via Variety, Cobra Kai topped all streaming series during that time – both original in content and overall – with more than 2.1 billion minutes viewed. Bridgerton came second in both categories at 1.67 billion minutes. Much of Cobra Kai’s success is likely because it has three seasons available compared to Bridgerton’s one. Many Netflix subscribers may have been waiting for the season 3 release to binge through the show in its entirety. Still, the series’ numbers are enough to make Mr. Miyagi proud.
Both series should have bright futures ahead of them at Netflix. The historical romance novels from Julia Quinn that Bridgerton is based on span many years and volumes. Each member of the titular Bridgerton family has a shot at love in the spotlight. Bridgerton season 2 will star Anthony in the leading role, suggesting that Netflix could follow the books' format through many more seasons. Hopefully, the show’s success keeps up when Daphne and Simon stepped out of the center stage.
Cobra Kai also has plenty of potential beyond season 4, especially if its ratings continue in the vein of season 3’s debut. Though a clear climax is building at Cobra Kai’s next All-Valley Tournament, the series’ writers have said they have plenty of ideas for the future as well. Many have heavily theorized the return of The Next Karate Kid’s Julie, and there’s lots of ongoing drama to keep the story going past season 4. With luck, Cobra Kai will continue to satisfy fans as it keeps fleshing out the world of The Karate Kid.
Source: Variety