Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 is not as big a success as the first chapter - here's why the Disney+ show is struggling 

Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 ( Image via YouTube / Disney Plus and Hulu )
Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 ( Image via YouTube / Disney Plus and Hulu )

Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 returned to Disney+ with enormous expectations! The second chapter was widely considered to be on the same success path as the first season of the show since the latter had already become a major success on the platform, next to Marvel and Star Wars.

The franchise had the momentum, the goodwill of the fans, and a solid brand foundation supporting it. The reality, however, is that the performance of Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 is anything but Season 1.

The actual streaming statistics show a substantial drop in viewers, and this automatically created a discussion regarding the levels of engagement, timing, and the overall streaming experiences of the Disney+ platform.

Although it is seen that there is still some faithful fan base supporting the series, the data is clearly telling a different story, and it is an important transition.


Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 1 created an exceptionally high benchmark for Disney+

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The premiere of Percy Jackson & The Olympians in December 2023 was a pleasant surprise for Disney+, and it was expected to be through different metrics. Season 1, as reported by Luminate and the industry, was the most-watched original content on Disney+, and this occurred in a series not related to the Marvel or Star Wars brands.

This was, in fact, an equally huge accomplishment, as it puts the show among the shortlist of only a handful of online streaming services that can truthfully state that they are indeed a breakout service. This means that Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 will inevitably face off against such an unusually high standard that very few shows on Disney+ have been able to live up to.

The verified data reveals that there was a substantial change in the viewership of Season 2.


Authentic data proves an evident drop in viewership in Season 2

The key dataset used to determine the performance of the second season of the series Percy Jackson & the Olympians is the U.S. streaming data from the service Luminate, which tracks the viewing minutes.

Within the first three weeks, Season 2 had 483 million U.S. minutes streamed. On the other hand, season 1 registered 1.3 billion US minutes. This shows that there is a decline of 63% in the number of viewers.

If the audience size is also considered, then the average size of the second season viewers was 11.2 million as opposed to only 31.5 million in the first season. The above data clearly and convincingly prove the poor performance of the second season in comparison with the first one.


Disney's muteness to the public has been a definite change from Season 1

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In terms of what changes between the two seasons, perhaps the biggest is the response from Disney itself. Disney+ has promoted success through press releases, interviews, and promotional messaging during the first season.

In an opposite manner, Disney has remained almost mute concerning the season 2 performance of Percy Jackson & The Olympians. Although a lack of communication does not necessarily mean failure, it is a stark contrast to the earlier approach on the platform, and it goes along with the reports that Season 2 did not reach the same internal milestones.


The nearly two-year gap between Seasons likely affected retention

One of the contextual elements that has been pointed out in industry analyses regards the nearly two-year difference between each of the seasons. The first season came out in 2023, and it took only two years for Percy Jackson & The Olympians to come back in 2025.

Having long gaps is common in fantasy serials that focus on their effects; however, they may also impact regular viewers. During such long periods, the audience's habits change, their interest declines, and some simply do not come back.

Although this gap does not entirely account for the downslide, it is likely that it made non-core audiences more reluctant to stay on.


Weekly release model presents structural challenges

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The second season of Percy Jackson & The Olympians, like the first, followed the release pattern on Disney+ that the first season followed, which means each episode is released on a weekly basis. This has the advantage of keeping the conversation trending for a longer span of time, but it also calls for the viewers’ engagement throughout the series so that the drop between episodes can be avoided.

None of the above-mentioned sources has specifically highlighted the onset of the ratings fall in relation to the release schedule, though it is a common consensus that the weekly releases might just result in a larger drop in viewers if the buzz is not retained through the episodes.

This should be considered as a structural factor rather than a cause that has been documented.


Reduced buzz does not mean loss of relevance

One has to understand that just because a series or anything else is devoid of visibility does not necessarily mean that there is a lack of relevance with it. Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 will have some real die-hard followers, notably those reading Rick Riordan books.

It is, however, worthy to note that, unlike in the first season, the second season has not elicited as much uproar online, neither with its streaming popularity nor particularly viral points of discussion. That is to say, it is also a reflection of the reduction of viewing minutes, and that it was not hidden away from public view, but rather its presence is less prominent than it used to be.


Platform-wide engagement issues provide important context

Analysis of Luminate emphasizes that Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 should not be thought of as a single incident. Disney+ has had recurring engagement problems with different original series, which points out a platform-wide issue instead of a failure of the show.

In this light, the end of Percy Jackson mirrors the larger transitions in streaming consumption, where even the most propitious franchises have trouble keeping their numbers up after the initial season.


Higher expectations changed how Season 2 was received

The fans’ expectations have also undergone a huge shift. The first season was welcomed with cautious optimism, and the freshness of a true adaptation worked in its favor. Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 has been greeted with a more critical fan base that expects the characters to move towards rising action instead of just the setup.

Such an event usually results in more critical viewing and a quick shutdown, to the extent that even the new viewing audience area will be able to support the same level of viewing. These are the expectations, although not concrete, that form an important part of the viewing trend.


Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 is clearly not able to draw in the same viewership figures as it did in Season 1. The 63% decrease in viewership in the US, as is supported by the Luminate data, is obviously an indication of its failure.

Furthermore, the outcomes of the season reflect a mélange of causes: a particularly powerful Season 1, a long period of waiting for release, changing viewer habits, and Disney+’s wider struggle with engagement. The show continues to be talked about and has fans backing it, but its path shows how hard it is to keep the peak of momentum in today’s streaming world.

To sum it up, Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2 is not a flop but rather a vivid demonstration of how fast the streaming success can drop to a normal level following a remarkable opening.

Also read: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 is showing signs of greatness as a key creative head is confirmed to return

Edited by Zainab Shaikh