‘South Park’ and ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Were Hulu’s Most-Watched Shows In 2017
Hulu may be part of the new digital streaming revolution, but both of its most-popular series have been airing for two decades. According to the service, “Law & Order: SVU” was the most-watched drama on Hulu in 2017, while “South Park” was the top comedy.
Based on hours watched, all three of Hulu’s top comedies in 2017 were animated: “Family Guy” and “Bob’s Burgers” were right behind “South Park.” On the drama side, right behind “SVU” was another NBC series, “This Is Us,” and Hulu’s Emmy-winning original, “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
The Hulu tally was revealed just days after it picked up more kudos for “Handmaid’s” at the Golden Globes, where the show won for Best TV Drama Series and Best Actress in a TV Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss).
It was a transformative year for Hulu, and not just because of the ten Emmys it won in September, including the first-ever series win for a streaming service. The service announced that it ended 2017 with more than 17 million total subscribers across its subscription on demand (SVOD) and live TV plans in the U.S. — up 40 percent (5 million subscribers) from 2016. The company also said its total audience grew to 54 million total unique viewers.
Among other stats, Hulu said more than 65 million hours of “Seinfeld” were viewed on Hulu in 2017, and said Hulu’s 2017 advertising revenue reached $1 billion for the first time. According to the service, its users boast a median age of 31 and a median annual household income of $92,000.
Hulu credits that growth to its originals strategy, but also its expanded on-demand library. Hulu notes that its library of 75,000 episodes across 1,700 titles is “more than twice the number of episodes available on any of the other leading streaming services.” Its offerings include “This is Us,” “Designated Survivor,” “Atlanta,” “Futurama,” “30 Rock,” “Black-ish,” “Lost,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Will & Grace,” “Power,” “Golden Girls,” “Prison Break,” “Full House” and “Family Matters.”
“We took several major steps to become a 21st century direct-to-consumer media company, evolving into both an aggressive SVOD business and a formidable new live TV provider,” said Hulu CEO Randy Freer.
