Little Mermaid 2023's Disney Plus Viewership Ranking Revealed Following Streaming Debut

By David Thompson Posted:
The Little Mermaid 2023 movie underwater

Following its streaming release on September 6, The Little Mermaid live-action remake is ranking well on Disney+ among all movies across several streaming services.

After falling short of expectations at the box office, earning $569.5 million worldwide, it was a point of debate whether the new Little Mermaid was a flop or not.

Following this speculation, Disney recently announced that The Little Mermaid drew 16 million views in its first five days on Disney+, the most viewed premiere since Hocus Pocus 2.

The Little Mermaid Wins Weekend on Streaming

Halle Bailey in Little Mermaid movie
Marvel

According to Whip Media, The Little Mermaid remake was the most-watched film on any streaming service during the weekend of Friday, September 8 through Sunday, September 10.

It amassed more viewers than DC's The Flash on Max, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on Disney+, and Nintendo's The Super Mario Bros. Movie on Peacock.

After flopping in theaters, Andy Muschietti's The Flash has been a success streaming on Max, previously being the #1 watched film the weekend of its release.

A surprise addition to this weekend's top 10 streamed movies was Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling, getting a massive bump from being added to Netflix.

Here is the full list of the top 10 most-streamed films between September 8 through 10:

  1. The Little Mermaid (Disney+)
  2. The Flash (Max)
  3. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (Netflix)
  4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Disney+)
  5. Love Again (Netflix)
  6. The Nun (Max)
  7. Choose Love (Netflix)
  8. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Peacock)
  9. Red, White & Royal Blue (Prime Video)
  10. Don't Worry Darling (Netflix & Max)

Analyzing the Long-Term Success of Disney's Live-Action The Little Mermaid

While Disney's latest attempt to reimagine a classic animated film wasn't a beaming success that will warrant a sequel, it should perform well for years to come on streaming.

A film like 2019's The Lion King earned $1.6 billion at the box office and quickly was given a prequel film in Mufasa: The Lion King with plans for even more films.

No one will be holding their breath for a second The Little Mermaid live-action film, but this is a valuable addition to the Disney+ catalog. 

It also introduced a new version of Ariel, race-swapping the iconic mermaid and casting Halle Bailey to put a new spin on all the musical classics.

It will be interesting to see how long The Little Mermaid can stay in the top 10 streamed movies in the U.S. 

The next Disney live-action remake, Snow White, hits theaters on March 22, 2024.

The Little Mermaid is streaming now on Disney+.

- About The Author: David Thompson
As an editor, writer, and podcast host, David is a key member of The Direct. He is an expert at covering topics like Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and business-related news following the box office and streaming.