The Third Season Of ‘Cobra Kai’ Didn’t Do So Great On Netflix

This morning, Netflix’s
NFLX
Top 10 charts had several familiar sights. Bridgerton, Lupin, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, L.A.’s Finest—all of these shows have been fixtures on the streaming service’s daily rankings throughout the month of January.

But there was one notable omission. And, unfortunately, this show’s absence from the Top 10 marks a noticeable difference from the program’s initial success.

The show in question is Cobra Kai. And the beloved project’s latest season—which premiered on Jan. 1, 2021—didn’t live up to the hype.

Cobra Kai made a triumphant move from YouTube to Netflix last year. The two seasons of that program were an instant hit, as Cobra Kai spent its first nine days in first place on the daily charts.

The revival of the original film series would remain on the Top 10 between Aug. 28 and Oct. 8. That streak of 42 days was, at the time, the seventh-longest run to date since the Top 10 system’s inception in early 2020.

But things looked quite a bit different in January for season three. While Cobra Kai started 2021 in first place, the show would only hold onto that position for six days—a streak that has already been bested this month by two different shows: Bridgerton and Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.

By the twelfth day of the show’s January run, the third season of Cobra Kai had fallen to third place—something that didn’t happen during the show’s initial run until its 21st day on the Top 10 charts.

The worst part? Yesterday marked the final day for Cobra Kai’s latest Top 10 streak. That means the third season only spent 22 days on the charts—nearly half of what the first two seasons accomplished during their debut months.

In total, the latest season of Cobra Kai only amassed 155 points during those 22 days (you can read more about the Top 10 point system here). That score is far eclipsed by the show’s initial run, which produced 300 points over its 42 debut days on the charts.

During 2020, Cobra Kai’s 300-point total would ranked in ninth place amongst all shows. But the show’s 155-point total in 2021, however, would have ranked in 33rd place—which wouldn’t have even made the year-end list of most popular programs on Netflix. That point total wouldn’t have been good enough to beat out shows like The Order, The Last Dance and Sweet Magnolias.

Don’t get me wrong: Cobra Kai is an undoubted hit. But it’s hard to not compare the show’s initial run with its latest modest success. While a fourth season seems inevitable (and has reportedly already started shooting), you do have to wonder if Cobra Kai can ever recapture its original success.