Jean-Luc’s return has gone remarkably well for ViacomCBS’s streaming service. Thanks in large part to last week’s Star Trek: Picard premiere, which brought back the eponymous captain, CBS All Access saw its highest number of sign-ups ever this month, besting the record set last February by Super Bowl LIII.
The Grammy Awards (and an exciting season of football) were also credited for the feat, but most of the attention was on the USS Enterprise crew and its latest adventure. CBS said that Picard earned new records for both total streams (up 115%) and volume of subscribers tuning into an original series (up 180%), which was previously held by Star Trek: Discovery.
“We’ve seen tremendous continued growth in the service, and the new records we’ve experienced due to Star Trek: Picard, the Grammy’s and a fantastic season of football are a phenomenal way to kick off what will be a fantastic year for CBS All Access,” said Marc DeBevoise, chief digital officer, ViacomCBS, and president and CEO, CBS Interactive.
“CBS All Access continues to build upon its great mix of programming — from original series, to sports and special events — and we’ve strategically programmed 2020 to bring subscribers an ‘always on’ calendar of must-watch series and events.”
Star Trek: Picard has been well received by critics, so its popularity isn’t much of a surprise. The show has managed to earn a Tomatometer score of 95% and an average audience score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The series takes place 18 years after Star Trek: Nemesis and re-introduces Jean-Luc Picard at his chateau in France. Only one episode has aired thus far, but fans have already been treated to plenty of familiar faces, which include the likes of Data, Riker, Troi, and Nine.