Despite favorable reviews and a general consensus that Loki season 2 was a narrative improvement overs season 1, ratings for the season 2 premiere were way down.
The Loki season 2 finale was up nearly 200 million minutes, a sharp rise in comparison to the premiere, however numbers in comparison to season 1 were still down, according to Nielsen's streaming ratings.
However, over the course of the entire season, the show amassed over 3.39 billion minutes of viewing. In comparison, season 1 totalled 5.23 billion minutes of viewing, implying that viewership is down roughly 35 percent.
Of course, the nation was in the tail-end of lifting COVID-19 restrictions during the Summer of 2021, meaning most Americans were still stuck at home, with little to do.
And to provide proper context, the Niesel ratings also point to an overall downward trend in streaming in recent months as the last round of ratings marks the first time that a show failed to eclipse the 1 billion minutes viewed mark.
As COVID times fade to the past, streaming ratings during this period could very well be viewed as an anomally instead of a benchmark.
Nielsen Streaming Ratings: Week of November 6 – 12, 2023
Overall
1. Bluey (Disney+), 918 million minutes viewed
2. Grey’s Anatomy (Netflix), 897 million
3. Suits (Netflix/Peacock), 826 million
4. Loki (Disney+), 753 million
5. All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix), 744 million
6. Friends (Max), 716 million
7. Selling Sunset (Netflix), 709 million
8. NCIS (Netflix/Paramount+), 705 million
9. Six Feet Under (Max/Netflix), 692 million
10. Gilmore Girls (Netflix), 666 million
Original Series
1. Loki, 753 million minutes
2. All the Light We Cannot See, 744 million
3. Selling Sunset, 709 million
4. The Great British Baking Show (Netflix), 436 million
5. Escaping Twin Flames (Netflix), 404 million
6. The Morning Show (Apple TV+), 373 million
7. Life on Our Planet (Netflix), 363 million
8. The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix), 339 million
9. Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix), 315 million
10. Lawmen: Bass Reeves (Paramount+), 290 million
Acquired Series
1. Bluey, 918 million minutes
2. Grey’s Anatomy, 897 million
3. Suits, 826 million
4. Friends, 716 million
5. NCIS, 705 million
6. Six Feet Under, 692 million
7. Gilmore Girls, 666 million
8. Cocomelon (Netflix), 630 million
9. Face Off (Netflix/Peacock), 576 million
10. The Simpsons (Disney+), 545 million
Movies
1. The Killer (Netflix), 650 million minutes
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Netflix), 597 million
3. Insidious: The Red Door (Netflix), 441 million
4. Home Alone (Disney+), 422 million
5. Elemental (Disney+), 352 million
6. Minions (Netflix), 280 million
7. No Hard Feelings (Netflix), 258 million
8. The Grinch (2018) (Peacock), 251 million
9. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Peacock), 249 million
10. Five Nights at Freddy’s (Peacock), 248 million
Loki season 2 picked up right where the dramatic season one conclusion left off, with Loki firmly planted at the center of a war for the soul of the Time Variance Authority (TVA).
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) crosses an ever-expanding and deadly cosmos in quest of Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), and Miss Minutes (Tara Strong), joined by Mobius (Owen Wilson), Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku), and a crew of both new and returning characters.
The showrunner/head writer for the God of Mischief/God of Stories' second season is Eric Martin, who replaced season one showrunner, Michael Waldron. He is an American writer and producer who has previously contributed to sci-fi television shows like Alphas and The Strain, as well as the first season of Loki.
Loki Season 2 Official Synopsis: Loki Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.