This Meghan Markle TV Show Just Set A New Streaming Record, Beating ‘The Office’
Meghan Markle's legal drama "Suits" continues to break streaming records amid a resurgence.
"Suits" now holds the record for the highest number of minutes watched in a single year for a TV series, surpassing the previous record-holder, "The Office," Variety reported, citing Nielsen's analysis of TV viewership in the U.S. throughout 2023.
The USA Network show accumulated a remarkable 57.7 billion total minutes watched last year, beating "The Office's" previous record of 57.1 billion minutes in 2020.
It should be noted that the legal drama, which streams on Netflix and Peacock, has about 83 hours of content, while the sitcom runs for approximately 73 hours.
Nielsen's list of the top-streamed titles of 2023 showcased the dominance of established shows.
The streaming original series with the highest viewership was Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso," accumulating a total of 16.9 billion minutes.
However, it fell short of the overall top 10 titles, where "Suits" claimed the lead, followed by familiar names like "Bluey," "NCIS," and "Grey's Anatomy."
During a recent interview on "The Jess Cagle Show," Abigail Spencer, who guest-starred on "Suits," attributed the show's resurgence to "several different things," including the Duchess of Sussex's popularity.
The "Mad Men" actress cited "Meghan's loveliness," noting that "everyone is aware of her and her being on the show," according to People.
Spencer also speculated that Markle's and Prince Harry's 2022 Netflix docuseries may have played a role in the renewed interest since it shares a streaming platform with "Suits."
In addition, the actress suggested that Netflix strategically promoted "Suits" during a period of reduced content production, contributing to the show's increase in viewership.
Markle also commented on "Suits'" streaming records and revived popularity at Variety's Power of Women event in Los Angeles in November 2023.
Meghan Markle arrives for Variety's Power of Women event at Mother Wolf in Los Angeles, California, on November 16, 2023.
While she said she was uncertain about the exact reasons behind its resurgence, the duchess attributed part of it to the binge-worthy nature of the show.
"It's hard to find a show you can binge-watch that many episodes of these days, so that could have something to do with it. But good shows are everlasting," Markle told Variety.
In October last year, the USA Network series set a streaming chart record for most weeks as the No. 1 overall title on Nielsen's rankings, surpassing "Ozark," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Markle portrayed paralegal Rachel Zane on "Suits" until Season 7. She transitioned away from the show after she and Prince Harry got engaged in 2017.
Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrive at the 2023 Invictus Games in Duesseldorf, western Germany on September 13, 2023.
