Apple TV’s most popular show this year was just revealed

Ted Lasso’s fourth season is set to air soon, and it's already predicted to be a massive success. However, recent data has unveiled Apple TV's most-watched series to date, surprisingly originating from the same creative mind behind Ted Lasso. While Apple TV refrains from disclosing explicit viewership statistics, indicators from the daily Top 10 charts offer a solid insight into the most-watched content.

Nielsen, a leading company in tracking viewership, released its data for the first half of 2026, which includes all streaming platforms. Although Apple TV content rarely makes it to Nielsen's charts, one series - Shrinking, created by Ted Lasso's co-producer - narrowly secured a spot in the top 20 'Original Series' rankings. 'Original Series' refers to shows that debut exclusively on streaming services, excluding older shows with large libraries like Grey's Anatomy and The Big Bang Theory.

Shrinking claimed the 20th most-viewed original series on Nielsen, with a total of 5.2 billion minutes watched, making it the highest-ranked Apple TV production so far this year. It was neck-and-neck with other series like Love Is Blind and Paradise, both also in the 5 billion-minute range. With a slight increase in viewership, it could have climbed to the 14th position on the charts.

Stranger Things and The Pitt topped the list, with 23 and 21 billion minutes respectively. Reaching the Nielsen charts is a significant accomplishment for Apple TV, and given Shrinking's expected return for a fourth season, it seems Apple and its viewers are in for more of the same.