FX's Adults Grows 40% in Season 2 Viewership — SkimNews

Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Adults Season 2 viewership grew more than 40% season-over-season across Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally over the first 12 days of release, per Disney internal streaming data cited by FX.
- International viewership doubled (+100%) for Season 2 after a modest Season 1 base, making it the biggest growth driver off small numbers.
- The standalone prequel episode "Marathon Day", released July 31, drove Season 1 viewership up 50% before the Season 2 drop — a release move FX appears to credit as strategically key.
- U.S. Season 2-to-Season 1 audience growth of 30%+ tracks the show's Rotten Tomatoes critics score climbing from 77% (Season 1) to 100% (Season 2).
- Hulu canceled similar 20-something New York comedy "Not Suitable For Work" after one season; per sources, Adults performed better while carrying a significantly smaller price tag.
- Both seasons were binge drops, with very small linear ratings on FX/FXX due to the show's young skew — nearly all viewing came via streaming.
Why it matters: Adults' 40% Season 2 lift bucks the typical streaming sophomore slump, and FX reinforced it by releasing a prequel episode that pushed Season 1 viewership up 50% ahead of the new season. Hulu's cancellation of peer show "Not Suitable For Work" — despite a similar premise — underscores Adults' cost-efficient edge, giving Hulu a rare streaming retention winner in the 20-something comedy space.
Ask SkimNews




