Bluey is most streamed ‘acquired’ series, sixth overall on American streaming

The Americans can’t get enough of Bluey, as it continues to conquer the US most-watched streaming charts.

The Americans’ love affair with Bluey continues unabated.

The beloved Australian animated series once again made a showing among the most streamed titles in the US, according to Nielsen.

Bluey was the most streamed acquired series (referring to a show that did not originate on an American streaming platform) in the week to April 9, and was watched for 737 million minutes.

It was the sixth ranked show in the US on the overall most streamed series chart, which also includes original US streaming shows. Netflix’s The Night Agent was number one during the period measured, with 1.85 billion minutes watched.

It’s not the first time Bluey stormed the US streaming lists, having also been recognised in February, March and August 2022.

The ABC series was created by Joe Brumm and made by Brisbane-based Ludo Studios. It streams in the US on Disney+.

Bluey, a wholesome and joyous series about a family of blue heelers, has been a big hit in the US, even scoring its own float in the traditional Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City.

Bluey made a special appearance during last year’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Picture: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy's Inc.

It has also has won plenty of famous fans.

Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and their kids are Bluey devotees. Mendes told Now to Love in 2020, “They love Bluey, Bluey is huge in our house. Huge. It’s really beautiful, I really love Bluey. They get kind of this crazy energy afterwards and they play tricks on us. They really love the frozen statue thing.

“But they love Bluey and we love Bluey and we watch it a lot. I think we’ve seen them all like twice over. We’ve binged Bluey.”

Mendes was later asked to voice a character named “Yoga Dog” in a 2021 episode. She told The Hollywood Reporter the producers called and offered her the part and her response was, “Say no more! I’m doing it!”.

Bluey is also big at Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s house. That fandom led to Miranda’s cameo in a third season episode in which he voiced a horse character named Major Tom.

Bluey continues to conquer the US. Picture: ABC/Ludo

Miranda earlier told Collider, “The show we watched the most during the pandemic was Bluey – because it is the only show that the whole family can be hysterically laughing at.”

An article in The Independent in 2022 said American parents have reported that their children have developed a thing for Australian slang such as “brekkie” as well as an Australian inflection – and some were concerned the accent would be permanent.

Brumm told The Independent, “All I can do is apologise. What’s been quite nice is the American audience, in particular, they’re enjoying the little puzzle of trying to figure out what half the words mean.

“I think audiences, and especially kids, can kind a lot of enjoyment out of those little puzzles – figuring out that, oh right, this same English-speaking country calls these things a different word. They call ‘sidewalks’ ‘footpaths’.

“We grew up having to translate American and UK shows, and kids are smart, and they do it.”

The latest Nielsen data follows the series’ triumph at last week’s Screen Producers of Australia conference, where it picked up accolades in the Animated Production of the Year and Screen Business Export Award categories.

Bluey has also picked up a swath of other awards including four AACTAs, a Logie and an International Emmy.