Shōgun has amassed a sizeable global streaming audience in its first week.
In the six days following its two-episode February 27th premiere, Disney says the acclaimed FX samurai drama has surpassed nine million views across Disney+ (where it streams in Canada), Hulu and Star+. The company defines “views” as total stream time divided by runtime.
For context, this makes Shōgun Disney’s top “general entertainment” series, topping both The Kardashians and The Bear. This also makes it the biggest FX premiere on Disney+ Canada.
By “general entertainment,” Disney clearly isn’t counting the first-week debuts of original shows in its biggest franchises, like Ahsoka (14 million views) or Loki Season 2 (10.9 million views).
Either way, it’s an impressive start for Shōgun, especially since it’s not part of a major franchise like Marvel or Star Wars.
Shōgun is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. As Lord Yoshii Toranaga fights for his life against the Council of Regents, a marooned English sailor comes bearing secrets that could turn the tides in Toranaga’s favour.
Based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name, Shōgun was created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick), Shōgun features an ensemble cast that includes Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai), Cosmo Jarvis (Lady Macbeth), Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Tadanobu Asano (Mortal Kombat) and Takehiro Hira (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters).
It’s also worth noting that the series was primarily filmed in various parts of B.C., with the cast and crew praising the province for its beauty.
Image credit: FX
