HBO Max
HBO Max's pirate parody "Our Flag Means Death" is the most popular new series in the US.
As of last week, when the first season concluded, the show was the top new series in the US released in the last 100 days, according to Parrot Analytics. The data company measures audience demand, which reflects the interest in and engagement with a series.
Overall, the series peaked as the No. 11 most in-demand show both in the US and worldwide. But it's still in the top 0.2% of shows across all platforms, according to Parrot Analytics, an impressive feat for a series not based on preexisting IP.
Demand for the show tripled between its series premiere and first season finale. When it debuted on Max on March 3, "Our Flag Means Death" was 11.9 times more in demand than the average series in the US. By the finale on March 24, it was 36.7 times more in demand.
In response to the data, the show's creator David Jenkins praised HBO Max execs on Twitter on Thursday.
"This is what happens when a major media company invests in inclusive mainstream stories," Jenkins said.
The show has also been a hit with critics. It has an 89% Rotten Tomatoes critic score, and has been praised as a witty and comforting watch.
"Should you find yourself in the mood to relax on mostly warm, mostly gentle waters with an adorable group of weirdos, it'll hit the spot," Angie Han wrote for the Hollywood Reporter.
In terms of word-of-mouth growth, Parrot Analytics compared "Our Flag Means Death" to another breakout hit, Apple's "Ted Lasso." But the first season of the former outpaced the latter's first season in growth. By both of their first season's finales, demand for "Our Flag Means Death" was 42.8% higher than for "Ted Lasso."
"Our Flag Means Death" is also rivaling another more-recent new show, Max's DC Comics series, "Peacemaker," in demand. The former has yet to reach the latter's peak demand, but is on a comparable trajectory, as the chart below shows.
Parrot Analytics