The Top 25 U.S. Original Online Series in Q3: Parrot Analytics

Bad news for advertisers: Nearly all the hot original online hits are on Netflix, which doesn't accept advertising. Good news for advertisers: Hulu, CBS All Access, Amazon Video, YouTube Red, and even Yahoo have their hits, and they're open for business.

The researchers at Parrot Analytics have determined the most-watched originals in 10 global markets, and made that information available in a free report. We present the U.S. list below, which is for the period from July 1st to September 30th:

1. Ozark      Netfix


2. The Handmaid's Tale     Hulu


3. Stranger Things     Netfix


4. Orange Is the New Black     Netfix


5. Castlevania     Netfix


6. Narcos     Netfix


7. 13 Reasons Why     Netfix


8. Marvel's The Defenders     Netfix


9. House of Cards     Netfix


10. Star Trek: Discovery     CBS All Access


11. Marvel's Iron Fist     Netfix


12. Glow     Netfix


13. Marvel's Daredevil     Netfix


14. The Man In the High Castle     Amazon


15. Fuller House     Netfix


16. Escape the Night     YouTube Red


17. Sense8     Netfix


18. Marvel's Luke Cage     Netfix


19. Gypsy     Netfix


20. Bojack Horseman     Netfix


21. The Last Kingdom     Netfix


22. The Ranch     Netfix


23. Community     Yahoo


24. Marvel's Jessica Jones     Netfix


25. Friends From College     Netfix

Speaking of ad-supported original online series, Parrot points out that CBS All Access's The Good Fight and Big Brother: Over the Top, YouTube Red's Rhett and Link's Buddy System and Annoying Orange, and VRV's Harmonquest all have significant viewerships, as well.

Parrot calculates its rankings by created a "demand expression" score for each show, which uses artificial intelligence to measure demand expressed on video sites, social media platforms, blogs, and more. So Parrot doesn't have exact numbers, but it does know what's getting buzz. By providing scores, it helps marketers understand where they should be putting their budgets.

"Knowing the demand for all this content allows for empirical content acquisition, licensing, and advertising decisions to be made, with a full picture of the state of content demand in any given market," the report says. "In an industry traditionally guided by intuition and gut feelings, gaining insights into the actual demand for content, no matter the platform or market, is a definite competitive advantage."

For the full global results and demand scores for each title, download the report for free (registration required).

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net