It may still be too early to draw definitive conclusions about September, but the month’s first rankings already reveal a trend that is difficult to ignore: in streaming, new releases may attract attention, but familiar franchises, established characters and rediscovered catalog hits are what keep audiences watching. Across movies and series, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+ and Apple TV follow different strategies, although nearly all of them are searching for the same balance between the week’s latest release and the title audiences already know.

Netflix: Fast Turnover and the Power of New Releases

Netflix remains the platform most capable of quickly replacing one hit with another. Among movies, Why Did I Get Married Again? has taken the lead, followed by The Whisper Man, while titles such as The Little Things, The Hard Corps and The Breadwinner confirm the service’s familiar combination of recent releases, rediscovered films and productions finding a second life in its catalog.

Among series, The Gentlemen holds first place, suggesting that the combination of crime, humor, violence and morally dubious characters continues to work extremely well for the platform. Crew Girl, The Perfect Lie, Death of the Past and Fauda help create a more diverse Top 10 than those of its competitors. Netflix remains less dependent on a single franchise and more reliant on its ability to generate successive waves of curiosity.

HBO Max: The Past Becomes the Present Again

Few results are as revealing as Practical Magic leading HBO Max’s movie ranking. The return of the 1998 classic shows how nostalgia, generational rediscovery and the approach of a sequel can transform an older film into a contemporary event. Supergirl, Blade Runner 2049 and the Despicable Me movies reinforce the importance of familiar properties.

Among series, Lanterns remains the platform’s leading title, followed by President Curtis. At the same time, Band of Brothers has returned to the ranking during a week marked by the 25th anniversary of 9/11. HBO Max brings together prestigious universes, superheroes, historical productions and catalog favorites. This is one of its strengths, but it also reveals how much the platform still depends on titles that arrive carrying a previous history with them.

Disney+: A Top 10 Ruled by Franchises

If there is one platform whose identity can be recognized simply by looking at its ranking, it is Disney+. The Mandalorian and Grogu lead the movies, accompanied by The Devil Wears Prada 2, several Avengers productions, Sing, and other titles connected to family-friendly universes. The strategy is evident: turn intellectual property into longevity.

Among series, Furious remains in first place even after the season finale, while Chad Powers holds the second position. The presence of the official The Mandalorian and Grogu podcast is particularly interesting because it demonstrates Disney’s ability to extend a release beyond the main production. The movie is not only driving its own ranking but also the entire ecosystem built around the franchise.

Prime Video: Global Strength, Limited Renewal Among Series

Drawn Together leads Prime Video’s movie ranking, followed by recent releases such as The Runner, The Last Sunrise, Fuze and In the Grey. It is a Top 10 closely tied to novelty, with action, thrillers and star-driven productions occupying most of the available space.

Among series, however, Reacher remains in first place. Its longevity confirms the strength of the brand, but it also exposes one of Prime Video’s difficulties: quickly creating another phenomenon capable of replacing it. Sterling Point, Off Campus and The Grand Tour follow, but none currently carries the same global weight. The platform has variety; what it is still searching for is a second major pillar of identity.

Paramount+: Catalog Strength and Stability

The Avatar: The Last Airbender movie leads Paramount+’s film ranking, accompanied by The Last Stand of Ellen Cole, Top Gun: Maverick, World War Z, Scream 7, and titles from the Transformers franchise. It is perhaps the Top 10 most clearly sustained by familiar properties and movies that continue circulating long after their initial release.

Among series, Lioness occupies first place, confirming that the current season has expanded the production’s reach. South Park, Yellowstone, Criminal Minds and SEAL Team complete a remarkably stable ranking. Paramount+ may have fewer new releases turned into immediate phenomena, but it has built a clearly defined collection of action, crime and military dramas, along with franchises that keep subscribers within its universe.

Apple TV: Fewer Titles, a Very Clear Identity

Mayday leads Apple TV’s movie ranking, ahead of F1, The Proposal, The Gorge, The Accountant and both The Family Plan movies. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the release generated enough curiosity to take the top position.

Among series, Apple TV may have the Top 10 with the strongest sense of authorial identity. Ted Lasso, Silo, Dark Matter, Slow Horses, Severance, Lucky, Widow’s Bay and Shrinking are all productions directly associated with the platform’s image. The result also reveals something important: its biggest successes remain relevant for long periods. Apple TV releases fewer titles, but it succeeds in keeping its series discovered, revisited and discussed.

The First Reading of September

The beginning of September shows three forces operating simultaneously. The first is novelty, which quickly pushed Why Did I Get Married Again?, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Drawn Together, and Mayday to the top. The second is the power of franchises, visible on virtually every platform. The third is rediscovery, capable of returning movies such as Practical Magic and series such as Band of Brothers to the center of the conversation.

What changes from one platform to another is the proportion. Netflix depends on speed; HBO Max on a combination of prestige and catalog; Disney+ on its brands; Prime Video on individual hits; Paramount+ on the stability of its universes; and Apple TV on the longevity of a smaller group of highly recognizable productions.

This is only the starting point. At the end of the month, we will need to compare how long these leaders remained at the top, which releases quickly disappeared, and which titles managed to turn initial curiosity into staying power. That is precisely when the Top 10 stops being a list and begins to tell the real story of streaming.