‘Severance’ viewership rises more than 200% in Season 2
‘Severance’ viewership rises more than 200% in Season 2
The rise in viewership highlights just how rare it is for a streaming show to gain viewers in its second season.
Not even the most gifted macrodata refinement analysts at Lumon Industries could have predicted this one. Apple TV+ finally premiered the second season of “Severance” in January, and despite a three-year gap between following the show’s first season, viewers flocked to the new episodes. And while the tech conglomerate (Apple, not Lumon) doesn’t release specific viewership numbers, a new report indicates that Season 2 made a huge jump in terms of viewers.
Key Details:
- Massive increase: “Severance” Season 2 experienced a 218% increase in viewing minutes.
- Halo effect: Season 1 of “Severance” also saw an influx of views thanks to Season 2.
- Not common: Most streaming shows don’t see such a large increase in viewership in second seasons.
According to the study released by Luminate, “Severance” Season 2 viewing minutes grew by a whopping 218% compared to Season 1’s initial 12-week run. The Season 2 finale alone attracted 540 million minutes watched, beating the show’s previous record high by 215%. Apple did confirm that the show has officially surpassed “Ted Lasso” to become the platform's all-time most-viewed series.
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The popularity of the second season of “Severance” also gave viewers more incentive to check out Season 1, presumably to see what all the fuss was about. Luminate data indicates that the first season of “Severance” made it onto the 2025 first quarter top-20 list of all scripted original dramas, despite having wrapped up in 2022.
The numbers are impressive enough, but what’s even more noteworthy about the growth of “Severance” is how few streaming original shows see any kind of audience growth between seasons. Fellow Apple TV+ original “Bad Sisters” also saw a larger audience in its second season, but it only grew by 9% — a relatively notable number, but nowhere near the increase that “Severance” saw.
The Paramount+ series “School Spirits” had to switch streamers to see an increase in viewership between its first and second seasons. After Season1 initially aired on Paramount+, it was licensed to Netflix, where it became available to a much wider audience. Then, when the second season premiered back on Paramount+, its viewership grew by 27%, compiling over 1.4 billion minutes watched in its first 12 weeks of availability.
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Despite Apple TV+’s relatively small market footprint, “Severance” has become a cultural touchstone, and Luminate’s data is just the latest example of the series’ ability to capture the imagination of a wide swath of viewers. A third season of “Severance” has already been confirmed, so it will bear watching to see if it can continue its trend of viewership growth.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.