A recent survey of the top entertainment franchises has determined that, unsurprisingly, Disney and Netflix are dominating the rest of the industry.The Mandalorian, the live-actionStar Warsseries on Disney+, came out on top, beating out the likes ofThe Avengers,Stranger ThingsandSpider-Man. But that was the loneStar Warstitle to appear on the list, which is both good and bad news for the franchise.
The survey was conducted by National Research Group beginning in January 2019. It included 350,000 participants, with 700 franchises included. In the end, Mando and Baby Yoda managed to beat out the competition.The Avengerscame in at number two, which is unsurprising given that it includes several other popular characters and franchises that made the list. Not to mention thatAvengers: Endgameis the highest-grossing movie of all time. Netflix’sStranger Thingstakes the number three spot. This is great news for the streaming service, with season 4 currently in the works.
One of the few franchises not owned by Disney or Netflix,John Wick, came in at number four, just ahead ofBlack PantherandGuardians of the Galaxy. Netflix then got another win withThe Witchercoming in at number seven andOzarklanding at number 8. Interestingly, and specifically,Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verselanded at nine, aboveSpider-Man, which came in at 17. This is great news for Sony, as they control the biggest superhero game in town not controlled byDisney.
To that point, not a single DC franchise made the list. Not evenBatmanorWonder Woman, which is perhaps surprising. Though that could change with the release ofThe Batmannext year andWonder Woman 1984next month. Much of the rest of the list was dominated by other Marvel franchises, save forMario Bros.at 15. Pixar, also owned by Disney, got a couple in the list as well withToy StoryandCoco. Additionally,The Lion KingandHamiltonrounded out the top 20. WhileHamiltonisn’t owned by Disney, the movie does reside exclusively on Disney+. Jon Penn, CEO of NRG, had this to say about their findings.
“Consumers are ready for entertainment franchises to lean into important cultural conversations and create a new reality, one in which optimism, diversity and curiosity unite rather than divide us.”
The biggest takeaway from the list is that it really has become a two-horse race between Disney and Netflix. Warner Bros. may own DC andHarry Potter, but they didn’t make the cut. Universal hasFast and FuriousandJurassic Park/Jurassic World, though they somehow aren’t among these titles either. This is why other streaming services and studios are desperate for branded content that has the potential to become a breakout franchise. you may check out the full list of the top 20 below. This news comes to us viaVariety.
