Stick stayed near the tops of the streaming TV popularity charts for a second week. The Apple TV+ series stars Owen Wilson in a feel-good sports comedy.
The new Apple TV+ film Echo Valley also found a big audience, plus Apple’s sci-fi action comedy series Murderbot continues to be popular week after week.
Apple tries sports comedies again with Stick
Ted Lasso, a comedy about a soccer coach with a heart of gold, put Apple TV+ on the map years ago. And now the streaming service seems to hope lightning will strike twice with Stick, another feel-good comedy with a sports theme.
In the series, Owen Wilson plays an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career went off the rails decades ago. After his life gets even worse — his marriage fails and he’s fired from his job at a sporting goods store — the ex-pro bets his future on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom.
That might sound like a drama, but Apple calls it “ a heartfelt, feel-good sports comedy about a found family and their relationships.”
Maybe it’s Wilson’s star power, maybe it’s the premise, but the new series got off to a strong start on June 4, and kept the momentum going. Movie and TV search engine JustWatch publishes a weekly ratings list of the 10 most popular series in the U.S. on streaming services, and Stick sits at No. 2 for the week of June 9 through June 15 (see chart). It held the second spot last week, too. Plus, rival service Reelgood also put the show in the No. 2 slot on its list for top-rated series for the week of June 12 through June 18.
Chart: JustWatch
Ratings estimates from companies like JustWatch and Reelgood are necessary because streaming services rarely reveal how many people tune in to their offerings.
The first five episodes of Stick season 1 are ready to watch now. The next premieres on Wednesday.
Thriller Echo Valley is also a hit
In Echo Valley, Sydney Sweeney plays a drug addict and probable killer whose mom, played by Julianne Moore, will do anything to save her. The thriller pulled in plenty of eyes after its launch on June 13.
JustWatch slotted it at No. 4 on its list of most popular films on streaming last week (see chart), and Reelgood also put the movie in its No. 4 slot.
Chart: JustWatch
Echo Valley is ready to watch now on Apple TV+.
Murderbot still kills it
Apple TV+ generally does well with sci-fi series, which isn’t surprising for a computer maker. Murderbot, Apple’s latest foray into the genre, is about a cyborg — part robot, part human — built to provide security in very dangerous situations. The series follows the cyborg as it breaks the programming that forces it to kill … and then goes looking for a purpose. But don’t expect a traditional action show, as there’s plenty of comedy mixed in.
It’s a combination that works, because JustWatch put the series at No. 4 on its chart of most popular streaming series last week (see chart above). Rival service Reelgood also put the show in the No. 8 slot on its list for top-rated series for the week of June 5 through June 11.
Alexander Skarsgård, who won Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG awards for roles that include Succession, Big Little Lies and True Blood, plays the eponymous lead character.
The first seven episodes of Murderbot season one can be watched now. The next is scheduled to appear Friday.
Watch these and more on Apple TV+
Streaming hits like Stick, Echo Valley and Murderbot, plus many others, come with a subscription to Apple TV+. The service is $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.
And Apple’s streaming video service also includes a library of drama, comedies, musicals, children’s shows, nature documentaries, etc.
