Shogun passes The Bear with most-watched premiere in platform history

Eleni Thomas
Hiroyuki Sanada in Shogun as Lord Yoshi Toranaga

One of 2024’s biggest surprise hits, Shōgun, has officially broken the record for the most-watched premiere in FX history, beating out the likes of The Bear and more.

2024 is shaping up to be another massive year for the television industry. The likes of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live and many others breaking platform viewership numbers across a variety of platforms and streaming services.

The latest series to cement itself in the history books is the new FX limited series Shōgun, a 10-episode show that serves as an adaptation of the book of the same name that was released back in 1975.

The new series has been praised for its cast, cinematography, and gritty portrayal of what was a violent time in history and is currently sitting at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.

As well as this, it has now been confirmed that the premiere episodes of Shōgun have taken over the record for the most watched opening episodes of any FX series.

Shōgun’s 9 million viewers beating out the likes of The Bear, The Kardashians, and more.

The official synopsis for Shōgun reads as follows.

 “The collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious woman samurai; John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyō, at odds with his own dangerous.”

However, it’s important to note that the 9 million viewers have been measured across multiple sources including Disney+ and Hulu, depending on where in the world you are watching the new show.

The first three episodes of Shōgun are currently available to watch and stream across various platforms. With the rest of the season set to release weekly until the eighth and final episode premieres on April 9, 2024.

Time will tell just how popular Shōgun becomes as the season continues to release. However, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest Shōgun news over the coming weeks and months.

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About The Author

Eleni is a Melbourne-based journalist. Having completed her Bachelor's in communication (Journalism) at RMIT University, Eleni is now a Senior Writer for the Dexerto Australia team. A big Nintendo fan (with a Triforce tattoo to prove it) and a lover of the zombie genre, Eleni covers gaming, entertainment as well as TV and movies for the site. She is also passionate about covering Queer and female representation. Contact Eleni at eleni.thomas@dexerto.com