Starfleet Academy Nielsen Ratings Raise Red Flags as New Trek Series Fails to Chart for Second Week in a Row

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Recent data from Nielsen shows that Starfleet Academy, the newest Star Trek series on Paramount+, hasn’t cracked the top 10 most-watched streaming shows for the second week in a row, which is concerning for the streaming service.

It’s normal for new streaming shows to have fluctuating viewership at the start, but the fact that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy hasn’t appeared on the charts—even with several episodes now released—suggests it may not be resonating with audiences as much as the streaming platform expected.

And when you step back and look at the broader context, warning signs start to add up.

The Numbers Tell an Unsettling Story

Nielsen measures the popularity of streaming shows by how many total minutes people watch them. During the week of January 19th to 25th, the tenth most-watched original series, The Upshaws on Netflix, had 416 million minutes viewed – which was just enough to make it onto the chart.

As a big fan of sci-fi, I’ve been looking into the numbers behind some shows, and it’s fascinating. Apparently, Starfleet Academy – with all its episodes totaling around 197 minutes – would have needed a lot of viewers – somewhere around 2 million, depending on how many people actually finished each episode – just to scrape into the Top 10 most-watched shows. It really puts things in perspective!

It didn’t get there.

After two weeks, the new show hasn’t registered any significant viewership numbers with Nielsen, which is unusual for a series connected to the popular Star Trek franchise.

A Pattern Paramount+ Can’t Ignore

Paramount+ has relied a lot on well-known franchises, especially the newer Star Trek series produced by Alex Kurtzman, to attract and keep subscribers. However, not all of these recent Star Trek shows have maintained the strong and lasting popularity that the franchise once had.

However, shows created by Taylor Sheridan, like Tulsa King and Landman, have generally performed better on Nielsen ratings and stayed in the Top 10 for longer periods.

This difference is important. Established franchises cost a lot to make and are usually expected to consistently attract an audience.

Right now, early Starfleet Academy Nielsen Ratings certainly don’t suggest breakout momentum.

Tone, Positioning, and Audience Disconnect

So why might the show be struggling to break through?

There are several plausible factors — and it’s likely a combination rather than any single issue.

It’s true that audiences are getting tired of endless sequels and reboots. With so many streaming options available today, even popular franchises like Star Trek have to work harder to attract viewers right away. Just having a well-known name isn’t enough to ensure a strong start anymore.

Also, the show’s overall style and creative choices might be affecting how people react. Many longtime fans have recently voiced their disappointment, feeling the show has moved away from what made Star Trek special – things like exploring new worlds, tackling thought-provoking issues, and maintaining a hopeful outlook – and is now focusing more on current social topics.

If a show doesn’t seem to be created for its main audience, those viewers won’t likely tune in regularly.

Still Early — But the Clock Is Ticking

Let’s be realistic: two weeks isn’t enough time to judge whether Starfleet Academy will be a success. Streaming series often gain viewers gradually, especially if people start talking about them positively or later episodes are more exciting.

But early Nielsen silence is rarely something platforms celebrate internally.

If Starfleet Academy doesn’t start attracting a larger audience and consistently rank among the top 10 shows as new episodes are released, discussions will likely move beyond acknowledging initial challenges and focus on deeper concerns about the future of the series on Paramount+.

For now, the data isn’t definitive — but it is certainly attention-grabbing.

In the fiercely competitive world of streaming, a new show doesn’t want to attract negative attention. Any unwanted focus can be damaging.

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2026-02-20 17:57