The Bear is proving that its dual renewal was good business. It was picked up for seasons three and four at the same time last fall, months before executives would feast their eyes on the latest entry’s exquisite viewership numbers. The season-four renewal isn’t only good business, it’s necessary from a storytelling perspective. The Bear season three ended on a “to be continued” cliffhanger, making an additional entry for the fine-dining dramedy a necessity.
Last week’s season-three premiere episode garnered 5.4 million views globally on Hulu, Hulu on Disney+, and Disney+ in some international territories during its four-day streaming debut, Deadline reports. Those numbers add up to a record-breaking bow: It was the No. 1 most-watched scripted-series premiere ever, the No. 1 FX season premiere ever, and the No. 3 most-watched season premiere overall. Moreover, the viewership tally is a 24 percent increase over season two’s debut, partially due to a surge in views from Hulu on Disney+. As they say in the TV business, “Yes, chef!”
