Prime Video’s Reacher is doing something that few shows manage: holding the No. 1 streaming spot for five weeks running. According to Nielsen, the series scored more than a billion viewing minutes for the fifth consecutive week, with 1.18 billion minutes watched between Sept. 7 and 13.
The numbers keep stacking up. Reacher has now spent four of its five weeks atop the Nielsen rankings since premiering in mid-August, and it has done so while the competition keeps trying to catch it.
Reacher’s Run
Reacher is not just the biggest show on Prime Video right now. It is the biggest show on American television, period. Nielsen’s streaming ratings measure viewing on TV sets only, not computers or mobile devices, and they track only U.S. audiences. The figures represent total minutes watched, not unique viewers.
The series has been a steady presence at the top of the charts since its premiere. Its five straight weeks of more than a billion minutes is the story.
“Reacher, which had 1.18 billion viewing minutes in the week of Sept. 7-13, has held that spot in four of the five weeks since it premiered in mid-August.”
The Rest of the Top 10
The rest of the top 10 originals saw mixed movement last week. The Gentlemen rose 22 percent to 881 million minutes in its second week of season two. That is a solid bounce, though it still trails Reacher by a wide margin.
Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returned to the charts with a new season, drawing 561 million minutes. Apple TV’s Silo (418 million minutes) remained in the top 10 a week after its third-season finale.
Movies and Acquired Series
Movies had their own leaderboard. Tyler Perry’s Netflix film Why Did I Get Married Again? topped the movie rankings and placed third overall with 908 million minutes of watch time. The 1998 classic Practical Magic (236 million minutes on HBO Max) hit the charts in the same week its sequel was released in theaters.
Acquired series performed well too. The Big Bang Theory dipped back below a billion minutes but still finished second overall with 971 million minutes. The former TNT series Major Crimes debuted in the rankings with 906 million minutes on Netflix and Pluto TV, where it was added on Sept. 3. Major Crimes is a spinoff of The Closer, which had a six-week run on the charts at the beginning of the year.
Lanterns (525 million minutes on HBO Max) improved slightly on its chart debut the previous week.
How the Numbers Hold Up
The Nielsen ratings are a snapshot of what Americans are actually watching, not what studios hope they will watch. The data comes from TV sets only, so it reflects couch viewing rather than phone scrolling. That matters when comparing services, since some platforms see far more hours on small screens than others.
The rankings also capture only U.S. audiences, which narrows the field but makes it more meaningful for domestic content strategy.
| Title | Service | Week of Sept. 7-13 | Week of Sept. 7-13 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reacher | Prime Video | 1.18 billion minutes | 1 |
| The Gentlemen | Netflix | 881 million minutes | 2 |
| Secret Lives of Mormon Wives | Hulu | 561 million minutes | 3 |
| Silo | Apple TV | 418 million minutes | 4 |
| Big Bang Theory | N/A | 971 million minutes | 2 (overall) |
| Major Crimes | Netflix/Pluto TV | 906 million minutes | 5 |
| Why Did I Get Married Again? | Netflix | 908 million minutes | 3 (overall) |
| Practical Magic | HBO Max | 236 million minutes | — |
The chart shows the spread clearly. Reacher is the outlier, and everyone else is chasing it.
The Top Titles Ranked
Here is the full order of the week’s biggest titles:
- Reacher — 1.18 billion minutes, Prime Video
- The Gentlemen — 881 million minutes, Netflix
- Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — 561 million minutes, Hulu
- Silo — 418 million minutes, Apple TV
- Major Crimes — 906 million minutes, Netflix/Pluto TV
- Why Did I Get Married Again? — 908 million minutes, Netflix
- Big Bang Theory — 971 million minutes, N/A
- Practical Magic — 236 million minutes, HBO Max
What This Means for Streaming
Reacher‘s run continues through a fifth week at No. 1. The series has held that spot in four of its five weeks since premiering in mid-August.
The other titles in the top 10 show a mix of movement. The Gentlemen rose 22 percent in its second week, while Lanterns improved slightly on its debut.
The acquired series category shows The Big Bang Theory remaining a massive draw. Major Crimes entered the rankings with 906 million minutes on Netflix and Pluto TV, where it was added on Sept. 3.
The Bottom Line
Reacher is the story this week, and it is not letting go. Five weeks at No. 1 is a remarkable run.
See the video the story is built around at The Hollywood Reporter.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.