‘Severance’: Apple TV+ Series Has Made More Than $200M For Streamer – Report

EXCLUSIVE: Lumon Industries appears to have been generating plenty income for Apple TV+.

Severance‘s long-awaited second season returned to the small screen last Friday and research from Parrot Analytics has found that the first generated more than $200M for the tech giant.

Parrot came to these figures via its Content Valuation methodology, which uses a formula to correlate audience demand with subscribers and therefore revenue. The system also examines how shows and movies generate value for streamers in markets across the globe.

According to Parrot, Severance is doing well compared with Apple hits like Slow Horses and The Morning Show. The former generated $184.8M during a similar timeframe to Severance Season 1, while the latter made $299.4M but across a much longer period of time. From Q3 2020 to Q3 2024, Ted Lasso, which has been teasing a fourth season, generated a whopping $609.4M, Parrot said.

As an acquisition driver, Parrot noted that the EMEA and Latin America regions have seen the greatest contribution from Severance. 

Weekly drops

Severance launched last Friday but is dropping episodes weekly, meaning fans will have to wait patiently for their fix of Mark S, Helly R and Mr Milchick. This builds into Parrot Senior Entertainment Industry Strategist Brandon Katz’s notion that “the critically acclaimed first season of Severance not only aligns with Apple’s premium brand, but provided a long tail of value for the streamer.”

Parrot’s research found that almost half of the revenue generated by Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller‘s hit came in the 12 months after the finale, which “underscores the show’s unique ability to elicit catch-up viewing and rewatches from hungry fans,” according to Katz. It is perhaps no wonder then that Apple has chosen weekly drops for Severance Season 2.

“All of this, plus its healthy pre-release demand trends, sets the stage for a ‘break out sequel’ type of performance for Season 2, which would help Apple fill the anchor series void without Ted Lasso,”added Katz. When looking at the 28 days leading into the upcoming season, Severance Season 2 now compares favorably to rival hits such as Cobra Kai, The Mandalorian and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Parrot said, backing up Katz’s claim.

Starring Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette and John Turturro, Severance Season 2 (SPOILER ALERT) returns to Lumon Industries after the shocking cliffhanger at the end of the prior season that saw Mark discover his wife could be alive and is in fact his severed Lumon colleague, Ms. Casey. Both seasons have been rated highly by critics.

Apple declined comment on Parrot’s research.