Despite being one of Paramount+’s legacy IPs, the Star Trek franchise seems to be on a downward spiral. The sci-fi series has been on air since 1966 and has faced several hiatuses. After a streaming run since 2017, the franchise finally seems to be heading for another pause after the release of Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy.
The recent Nielsen ratings in the streaming space had plenty of Paramount+ shows in the top 25 list, but Star Trek was not there at all. While Netflix’s Stranger Things and His & Hers dominate the list, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spinoffs have given Paramount+ a fighting chance. But fans wonder, is Star Trek dead?
Paramount+’s Successful 2026 Does Not Include Star Trek
The most-watched shows of the 2025-2026 year have been filled with legacy show finales, new entries with stars, and spinoffs of legacy shows like Yellowstone. Paramount+ has been filled with the Sheridanverse shows like Landman, Marshals, and The Madison in the top 25 list of most popular TV shows on streaming (via Variety).
However, Star Trek, which had two shows in the fiscal year, Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy, has not shown up in the top 10 most-watched shows or the top 25. It is not like the viewership on the streamer is on a downward trend. Marshals, which is in third place, has 20.7 million viewers, while Landman has 19.8 million.
The Star Trek franchise has been going strong for the past few years, restarting after the post-Enterprise hiatus and the Kelvin timeline’s limbo. However, the studio has not greenlit any new projects in the franchise yet, with two more seasons of Strange New Worlds and one more season of Starfleet Academy left.
Here are all the Paramount+ shows in the list of most-watched TV shows in 2025-2026
Show NameViewers (in million)Marshals20.7Landman19.8Tracker16.4Matlock11.5Sheriff Country10.8Ghosts10.5The Madison10.2NCIS10.0George and Mandy’s First Marriage9.9Survivor 509.8
As seen above, no Star Trek show is seen in the top-10 list of most-watched Paramount+ shows. So, what does this mean for the franchise?
What Does The Ratings Gap Mean for Star Trek?
The main cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Credits: Paramount+
Low ratings have never really stopped Star Trek from coming back. The original series was canceled after three seasons, but a resurgence in interest brought it back for The Next Generation, whose success spawned Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise. After another hiatus, the franchise got a new lease of life on streaming with Discovery.
One of the reasons for the studio not to greenlight any other Star Trek show could be the massive budget needed to mount it. From physical sets to complicated VFX and an ensemble cast, the franchise, by design, is quite expensive. The shows also have fewer episodes per season.
Paramount is also in a transitional period after its merger with Skydance. Of course, no studio is stupid enough to bury a franchise with so much potential like Star Trek. But the studio might take stock of what would work better for the series and reinvent it for a different era. Apart from the hardcore fans, the plan for Star Trek should be to attract new ones.
What do you think of Star Trek’s future? Comment below.
All Star Trek shows are available to stream on Paramount+.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
