Season 2 of the Showtime series Yellowjackets (read our review of the new season HERE) airing on Showtime on March 26th, but fans could also catch the first episode of season 2 streaming and On Demand as of the 24th – and a whole lot of them did go with the streaming option. Variety reports that the first episode of Yellowjackets season 2 became Showtime’s most-streamed debut ever, hitting nearly 2 million viewers across platforms according to figures from Nielsen, comScore, and Showtime’s internal streaming data. The previous record holder was Dexter: New Blood. Showtime also let it be known that this was the best season 2 premiere for them in more than 10 years and nearly double the series premiere audience. The debut marks a 110% rise in viewership from the series premiere in November 2021 and 40% jump from Yellowjackets season 1 finale in cross-platform viewing.
Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis star in Yellowjackets, which is is described as “equal parts survival epic, horror story, and coming-of-age drama.” The story centers on a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series will chronicle their descent from a complicated but thriving team to warring, cannibalistic clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.
Created, written, executive produced by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the series also stars Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Ella Purnell, Sammi Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, Steven Krueger, Amy Okuda, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Courtney Eaton, and Liv Hewson. New cast additions in Yellowjackets season 2 include Elijah Wood (the Lord of the Rings trilogy), Lauren Ambrose (Servant), Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Nicole Maines (Supergirl), François Arnaud (The Borgias), Nia Sondaya (Truth Be Told), and guest star Jason Ritter (Freddy vs. Jason).
Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks, provided the following statement: “Yellowjackets broke records as the most streamed Showtime debut ever thanks to Ashley, Bart, Jonathan and our extraordinary ensemble cast who brought season two to even greater heights. By tapping into our proven strategy of promoting series across our full portfolio of brands at Paramount Media Networks, we successfully broadened the reach and brought new viewers into this incredible series that deftly combines psychological horror, dark comedy and coming-of-age drama.” Showtime already ordered season 3, months before seeing these premiere numbers.
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