HBO Max's The Pitt hits 1.3 billion

Nielsen’s U.S. streaming chart for April 13 to April 19 put HBO Max medical drama “The Pitt” at No. 1 overall with 1.388 billion minutes viewed. The total, published on Nielsen’s Top 10 page, topped Prime Video’s “The Boys” at 918 million minutes and made “The Pitt” the only title above 1 billion minutes for that week. Collider reported the Nielsen result on May 15 and said HBO Max had two titles in the overall top 10 that week. Nielsen’s chart also showed HBO Max carrying “The Big Bang Theory” at No. 4 with 753 million minutes, while Disney+, Hulu, Netflix and Paramount+ each had at least one other title in the top 10. (nielsen.com) ### How big was the 1.388 billion-minute week? Nielsen measured 1,388 million minutes for “The Pitt” across 30 available episodes in the April 13-19 window. The company’s Top 10 page says its streaming rankings are based on total minutes viewed by persons age 2 and older in the United States, with viewing through television. The same Nielsen chart showed a gap of 470 million minutes between “The Pitt” and the No. 2 title, “The Boys.” Other series on the overall list that week included “Bluey” with 833 million minutes, “Bob’s Burgers” with 654 million and “Grey’s Anatomy” with 642 million. (collider.com) ### Was this a one-week spike or part of a longer run? The Hollywood Reporter said on May 14 that “The Pitt” recorded more than 1 billion viewing minutes in 13 of its 15 weeks during season two. (nielsen.com) The outlet, citing Nielsen data, also reported that the show’s second season totaled just over 11 billion minutes and that all episodes accumulated 16.86 billion minutes from Jan. 5 through April 19. Media Play News, also citing Nielsen data through April 19, reported that the April 13-19 frame was a new weekly high at 1.39 billion minutes and the show’s third consecutive week at No. 1 overall. That report said the series had topped 1 billion minutes in 13 of the 15 weeks it aired and had logged 10 straight billion-minute weeks by the end of season two. (hollywoodreporter.com) ### What exactly do Nielsen’s streaming numbers count? Nielsen says its streaming Top 10 ranks programs by total minutes viewed, not by completed starts or unique viewers. The chart for April 13-19 lists “The Pitt” with 30 episodes, meaning the weekly total includes viewing spread across the show’s available library rather than only the newest installment. (mediaplaynews.com) The Hollywood Reporter spelled that out in its May 14 analysis, saying a weekly total such as the 1.13 billion minutes for April 6-12 included time spent on season one episodes, earlier season two episodes and the newly released episode for that week. That makes the Nielsen figure a measure of total engagement with the title during the week, not just opening-week consumption of a single episode. (nielsen.com) ### Where does this leave HBO Max and the show’s next season? HBO Max renewed “The Pitt” for a third season on Jan. 7, according to Warner Bros. Discovery’s press release. Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, announced the renewal at the season two premiere event in Los Angeles, the company said. (hollywoodreporter.com) Noah Wyle said at Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfront presentation on May 13 that production on season three was about to start, according to Deadline. USA Today, citing the same appearance, reported that season three is set just before Thanksgiving, giving HBO Max a defined next production step after the Nielsen run through April 19. (deadline.com) (press.wbd.com)