Halo has just set the record for the most-watched season premiere of any Paramount Plus show. This is based on global data taking into account its first 24 hours, and it’s a good sign for the streaming service and the show itself.
According to Deadline, official statistics for the new series haven’t been released just yet, but with the information at hand, it’s clear that it outperformed the other Paramount Plus mega-hit 1883. This limited series western is the Yellowstone prequel starring Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Tombstone‘s Sam Elliot drew 4.9 million viewers for its first episode.
The popular video game franchise came in with a strong fanbase, and that name recognition surely helped build interest and secure the coveted top spot. Paramount Plus also reportedly spent $10 million per episode, which puts it in the same arena as HBO’s Game of Thrones‘ budget and should illustrate how much hope was riding on this being their next successful series.
Master Chief actor Pablo Schreiber has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for the first episode, and he invited those who haven’t yet watched it to do so. But, it’s important to note that there’s been controversy surrounding the series and certain decisions that were made.
Halo Fans have taken issue with Master Chief taking off his helmet in the series. In the video game, it never gets taken off, but Schreiber and executive producer Kiki Wolfkill have defended the decision – they wanted audiences to connect to the character and didn’t want the helmet to get in the way of that.
Paramount Plus believes in the series so much that a season 2 has already been confirmed. If the show continues to maintain strong numbers, the streaming service might just have the series sensation it’s been hoping for.
Halo is available to stream on Paramount Plus.