Disney+’s Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has broken a record viewership on the streamer, Deadline exclusively reports.
According to Deadline, the sequel series to the original 2000s series Wizards Of Waverly Place has reached total of 3.2M views globally for the first episode. The Walt Disney Company announced that this happened within only the first 12 days of streaming, becoming Disney Channel‘s most-watched series premiere ever on Disney+. Like Netflix, Disney ensures that views are counted by a total stream time and divided by runtime. In an exclusive statement, the President of Disney Branded Television, Ayo Davis (The Brothers, The Bachelor), explained her thoughts on these achievements for the sequel series.
“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has reintroduced the magic of the Russo family to a new generation, resonating with audiences across platforms,” Davis shared via Deadline. “Its standout debut reflects the enduring appeal and relevance of this beloved franchise – and the creativity and talent driving this new chapter.”
According to Deadline, the series did particularly great numbers among younger and adult viewers, ranging from the age of six through 24. Furthermore, according to data from Nielsen, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place became one of the top streaming series in the U.S. among Kids 6-11, Girls 6-11, Teens and Adults 18-24 within the first five days after its release on Disney+.
Furthermore, according to Deadline, Disney released the first episode on YouTube to reach an even younger demographic, which has obtained another broken record for the series, as it totaled 1.1M views today on that platform alone. Based on data from seven days after the post was added to YouTube, the first episode is one of Disney Channel’s best YouTube performances in terms of views since 2017.
According to Deadline, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place focuses on the life of a now adult Justin Russo, with the role reprised by ex-Disney Channel star David Henrie (Reagan, Max & Me). He has now chosen to lead a mortal and normal life with his family, Giada, Roman and Milo. Justin’s sister, Alex, with the role reprised by famous ex-Disney Channel actress Selena Gomez (Only Murders In The Building, Montecarlo), brings Billie, a young wizard, to his home to help her become a better wizard. Justin realizes that he must tap into his role as a wizard to mentor this wizard-in-training; meanwhile, he juggles between his normal life and protecting the Wizard World.
According to Deadline, Jed Elinoff (Raven’s Home, Malibu Rescue) and Scott Thomas (Day of the Dead, The Christmas Break) are writers and executive producers for the series, alongside executive producers Gary Marsh (Descendants: The Rise of Red, Witch Mountain), Jonas Agin, Gomez and Henrie. Andy Fickman (Liv and Maddie, You Again) has directed and executive-produced the pilot. He will also direct multiple episodes. The creator of the series is Todd Greenwald (Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, Hannah Montana).
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is now available to stream on Disney+.