Election week was a tense time for many. In between tuning in to live results across the country, Americans streamed both new shows and time-tested favorites.
Reelgood decided to analyze the streaming and viewing activity of its 2 million American users during that week.
The show that dominated streaming was the new Netflix miniseries The Queen’s GambitThe Queen’s Gambit, a drama focusing on the world of chess championships in the 1950s and 60s. Viewers in states including New York, Virginia, Tennessee, California, North Dakota, Texas, and Arizona streamed the show in high numbers.
The MandalorianThe Mandalorian was another popular option across party lines, topping the charts in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Florida, Montana, Ohio, Maine, Louisiana, and more. The Disney+ series is set in the Star Wars universe (complete with the adorable Child, a.k.a. Baby Yoda), and season two was released right before election week.
Other TV shows that viewers selected in were time-tested and comfortably familiar. The Simpsons, The Big Bang Theory, Schitt’s Creek, Rick and Morty, and Parks and Recreation were top choices in a number of states, including South Dakota, New Mexico, Iowa, Vermont, and Idaho.
“Similar to how we saw people react to their first few months under lockdown due to the pandemic, going back to watch something familiar (something that you most probably know by heart and that will no longer shock you) seems to be how a fair number of users respond to generally stressful situations,” said a Reelgood spokesperson.
