Streaming Wars: ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Debuts Strong, but ‘Ballard’ Takes the Lead in U.S. Households

In a summer crowded with high-profile streaming premieres, the return of television’s most notorious antihero, Dexter Morgan, has proven there’s still blood in the water for legacy franchises. Paramount+’s Dexter: Resurrection drew 549,000 U.S. households for its premiere episode in the L+2D window, according to industry data. The series, which continues the saga of Michael C. Hall’s vigilante serial killer, over-indexed most significantly among viewers aged 55-64, who tuned in at rates 11% above the platform average.

The robust debut reflects the franchise’s enduring appeal, even as it faces stiff competition. Paramount’s strategy included a one-year licensing deal with Netflix to stream the original eight seasons, generating renewed buzz and introducing Dexter to a new generation of viewers. The result: Dexter soared into Netflix’s Top 10, amassing 1.2 billion minutes viewed during the week of July 1-7, just ahead of the new series launch.

Still, Dexter: Resurrection was swiftly outpaced by Amazon Prime Video’s Ballard, which captured 874,000 U.S. households in its L+4D window. The Pacific Northwest proved especially fervent: Portland, Oregon, over-indexed by 72%, followed by Phoenix, Arizona (+53%), and Charlotte, North Carolina (+40%). The show’s regional resonance underscores the increasingly granular targeting of streaming platforms as they vie for dominance in a fragmented market.

Netflix, meanwhile, continues to churn out original content with mixed results. The romantic dramedy Too Much attracted 281,000 U.S. households over three days, a modest showing compared to the 333,000 who watched One Day and the 1.2 million who sampled Nobody Wants This in similar windows. Notably, Too Much skewed younger, with millennial households (ages 35-44) over-indexing by 6%—a demographic that remains Netflix’s core audience.

The latest numbers highlight a shifting landscape in which brand recognition and targeted licensing deals can still drive substantial viewership, but breakout hits are increasingly unpredictable. As networks release fewer scripted series, franchises like Dexter are betting on nostalgia and cross-platform exposure to sustain momentum.

With Dexter: Resurrection already the most popular TV show on Paramount+, the weekend it premiered—despite being paywalled behind the Showtime tier—the future seems bright for the franchise, even as it faces renewed competition from both new originals and revived classics