Apple TV+ has a new record-breaker on its hands with the launch of “Masters of the Air.” Produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman, the epic war miniseries has soared to become the streaming platform’s most-watched series launch ever. While specific viewer numbers were not disclosed, “Masters of the Air” surpassed the opening weekend viewership of other popular original titles like “Hijack,” “The Morning Show,” and “Severance.”
The series’ premiere had a remarkable impact on Apple TV+ viewership worldwide, with a 65% increase in viewership across all content in the week following its release. This growth was consistent across more than 100 territories, demonstrating the global appeal of “Masters of the Air.”
Currently airing new episodes, “Masters of the Air” is set to conclude its first season on March 15. The series, executive produced by Spielberg, Hanks, and Goetzman, with Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Steven Shareshian, John Orloff, and Graham Yost as co-executive producers, is adapted from Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name. It chronicles the harrowing missions of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II as they conducted perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany.
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Featuring a talented ensemble cast including Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, and others, “Masters of the Air” has garnered widespread critical acclaim. Variety’s chief TV critic Aramide Tinubu praised the series as “massive, beautifully rendered, and a reminder that war is murderous, gruesome, and horrifically human.”
With its compelling storytelling and stellar production, “Masters of the Air” has solidified its place as a must-watch series and a standout success for Apple TV+.