Fallout: Inside The Magic of a Global Hit

Feature / 20th June 2024

The news is out of the bunker: Fallout is the biggest global hit of the 2024 so far. 

You’ve seen the press releases.

You’ve seen the Fallout posters on billboards and the sides of buses.

You probably binge-watched it yourself in less than a week.

Maybe it even inspired you to download the one of the old Fallout games and create your own story…

As strategists and researchers, we need more than anecdotal evidence to quantify a global hit. From an in-depth analysis of Digital i’s global harmonised SVOD viewing data, three key factors lead to a global hit. 

1. Effective marketing 
2. Global buzz
3. Engaging Content

There is a clear set of viewership metrics that denote success for these categories. Since 2003, our analysts have worked on finding the best way to understand content performance. From account reach to completion rate, completed viewing equivalent (CVE) to average time of completion; we’ve tried it all.

Now, let’s dive into the stats behind Fallout to understand the numbers behind its success.

The Viewership Fallout

* Major European markets include the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden. Data is based on Digital i’s SoDA panel and does not include content viewed live or repeated episodes within the same month.

According to viewing data observed by Digital i, Fallout reached more subscriber accounts than any other streaming original show in 2024 across the U.S. and major European markets. 

In April, the show reached over 34 million subscriber accounts in the aforementioned territories, generating more viewing time than any other show available on Netflix, Prime Video, Max or Disney+.

So, we know that it topped its ‘programme slot’. But what was the overall impact on Prime Video? Well, average daily viewing of Prime Video increased by 8% from March to April, demonstrating how a hit show drives time spent; a critical metric to maximise ad efficiency.  

Engagement in the U.S. Market

* Streaming Originals include content launched on Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Max. Data is based on Digital i’s SoDA panel and does not include content viewed live or repeated episodes within the same month. 

Within the first 14 days of release, Fallout reached 34% of all active U.S. Prime Video subscribers. 

Compared to the opening two weeks of other 2024 streaming original hits, Fallout generated the highest volume of  viewer hours, with 30% more viewing time than Netflix’s Fool Me Once. 

If a brand had sponsored the show, they would have achieved admirable reach and frequency across key economic markets. 

In the U.S. Fallout accounted for 14% of all time spent on Prime Video in April 2024. It also achieved a 61% completion rate within the first 20 days of its release. Completion rate is a vital metric for understanding viewer satisfaction. And the platforms know this. Historically, Digital i has observed that a new series launch must achieve over 50% completion rate within the first 28 days of launch to be considered for renewal. 

As part of the resolution of the Hollywood strikes, all parties agreed that a high-budget streaming original must reach the equivalent of 20% of domestic subscribers within the first 90 days of release to qualify for a streaming residual bonus. 

Fallout surpassed this threshold in 20 days. 

Global Buzz Makes a Global Hit

Across the U.S. and major European markets, more than half of those who started watching the show finished it before the end of the month, and 80% of finishers completed all episodes within 5 days. 

Binge viewing drives buzz; a key factor when it comes to creating a global hit. Without appointment-to-view, streaming is often seen as responsible for fragmented viewing and the loss of TV events. However, when a new content release drives urgency to complete a season and is available worldwide, global viewers generate global buzz. 

Have thoughts about the metrics that make a global hit?

Want to set your own benchmarks to track your own content’s performance?

Get in touch with one of experts and let’s have a chat.