Apple TV rarely cracks Nielsen’s national streaming charts, but hit series “Shrinking” has done just that in the first half of 2026. The dramedy, from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence, ranks as the platform’s top performer so far this year, according to Nielsen’s Streaming Landscape 2026 report covering December 29, 2025, through June 28, 2026.

“Shrinking” landed at No. 20 among original series with 5.246 billion minutes viewed across its 33 available episodes. That figure edges it past other titles in the low-5-billion range and makes it Apple TV’s sole entry — and therefore its most-watched original — in Nielsen’s top 20 originals list.

The numbers reflect both the ongoing pull of earlier seasons and the impact of Season 3, which premiered in late January 2026 and concluded in early April. Starring Jason Segel as a grieving therapist who abandons professional boundaries, alongside Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, and Christa Miller, the series blends sharp comedy with emotional depth. Its consistent critical praise and steady audience loyalty have kept it a reliable performer on a service better known for prestige hits than mass-market volume.

Nielsen data underscores how difficult it is for Apple TV titles to reach these rankings. Netflix dominated the originals chart, claiming 11 of the top 20 spots led by “Stranger” Things (23.261 billion minutes). HBO Max’s “The Pitt” took second with 21.118 billion, followed by other heavyweights such as “Bridgerton,” “Landman,” and “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Apple TV’s appearance at the bottom of the list is notable precisely because the service’s subscriber base and viewing patterns have historically kept most of its originals below the national radar that Nielsen captures through television-connected devices.

The achievement arrives as Apple TV continues building its slate of character-driven series. “Shrinking” has already been renewed for a fourth season, with creators signaling a possible time jump that could refresh the story while retaining the core ensemble. Meanwhile, the return of “Ted Lasso” for its own new season offers another high-profile opportunity for the platform to convert critical favorites into broader viewing momentum.

MacDailyNews Take: For a service that prioritizes quality over sheer quantity of hours, cracking the Nielsen originals Top 20 represents a meaningful achievement. 5.2 billion minutes for “Shrinking” demonstrate that thoughtful, well-acted storytelling can still cut through in a fragmented streaming landscape, giving Apple TV a clear mid-year leader and a foundation to build on as the second half of 2026 unfolds.

MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

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Apple TV’s Emmy-nominated stars packed Spago for The Hollywood Reporter’s “Women of Apple TV” panel, where Michelle Pfeiffer confessed she never wants to lead a movie again, Elle Fanning celebrated the freedom to play messy and judged characters in Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and Rhea Seehorn pushed back hard on claims her Pluribus survivor is “unlikeable.” Jessica Williams, Dale Dickey, and Karolina Wydra joined the candid chat about complicated women, creative allies, and the pure joy of seeing roles this rich on screen.

Kirsten Chuba for The Hollywood Reporter:
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“THR x Apple TV’s Leading the Narrative: The Women of Apple TV” event took over Spago Beverly Hills for a conversation among Margo’s Got Money Troubles stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning, Pluribus‘ Rhea Seehorn and Karolina Wydra, Shrinking actress Jessica Williams and Widow’s Bay scene-stealer Dale Dickey, moderated by Shrinking writer-producer Ashley Nicole Black.

Black kicked off the panel — in front of a room full of influencers and tastemakers — by emphasizing, “I can’t believe all of these performances happened in the same season; I remember being a young woman where you would get one really cool female character per season. To get all of these iconic performances in one is just like, my mind is blown.”

Later in the conversation, Seehorn reacted to the feedback from some viewers that her character in Pluribus, one of only 13 people in the world immune to a virus that transformed the rest of humanity into a peaceful hive mind, is “unlikeable.”

“I disagree; personally I would have taken eight more episodes to get up off the floor so I think she’s kind of doing well, really,” teased Seehorn, who is up for lead actress in a drama series.

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MacDailyNews Take: Apple TV is steeped in quality, from writing to acting to directing, in so many interesting and varied series it’s actually the best value in streaming television today.

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