Beast Games, a reality competition based on games and challenges created by MrBeast, amassed the most Instagram followers of all the new series that made their debuts in December, according to The WIT.
The Prime Video series sees 1,000 contestants compete for a $5 million cash prize, the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming. It picked up 125,000 followers after premiering on December 19, boosted by the popularity of Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, who has 64 million of his own.
Twitch.tv’s DTR Fight picked up 79,000 followers after streaming on December 7. The English boxing gala, organized by French streamer Rebeudeter (Billal Hakkar), features five bouts, organized according to the weight categories of the participants and respecting the rules of English boxing. The main event pits Rebeudeter against Greg MMA. Rebeudeter has 1.5 million Instagram followers.
The Turkish period drama Şakir Paşa Ailesi: Mucizeler ve Skandallar racked up 50,000 followers after bowing on NOW on December 15. Starring Meryem Uzerli (7.5 million followers), Fırat Tanış (815,000) and Devrim Yakut (194,000), the show takes place in 1912 and is based on true events. It charts the lives and relationships of the Şakir Paşa family, which includes a famous writer who made Bodrum famous, a master of modern painting, the first Turkish engraver and the first Turkish ceramic artist.
Arabia’s Next Star bowed on Shahid VIP in the Middle East and on SBC in Saudi Arabia on December 3 and garnered 44,000 followers. The singing competition features 50 children ages 7 to 14 from various Arab countries. They try to win over the panel of judges, featuring Egypt’s Carmen Soliman (5.6 million followers), Yemen’s Fouad Abdulwahed (5.4 million) and Saudi Arabia’s Dalia Mubarak (1.6 million), with their talent. The contestants are then coached by a team of three experts in performance, vocals and musical instruments.
Rounding out the top five, Prime Video’s Secret Level comes from Tim Miller, creator of Love, Death & Robots, which has 318,000 followers. It consists of original short stories set within the worlds of beloved video games. Secret Level picked up 24,000 followers after premiering on December 10.
Another Prime Video series landed in sixth place, with Pop Culture Jeopardy! amassing 22,000 followers. Hosted by SNL alum Colin Jost, who has 839,000 followers of his own, the new version of the popular quiz show puts on a twist on the classic format by having contestants compete in teams of three and put their pop culture knowledge to the test across categories covering music, movies, TV, fashion, celebrity, youth culture and more.
Sen Ağlama İstanbul, a Turkish adaptation of the Iranian drama series Shahrzad, stars Aytaç Şaşmaz and Simay Barlas. The Star TV drama centers on resilient medical student Sehrazat, who falls for Ferhat, someone who has been wrongfully sentenced. In order to save him, Sehrazat seeks help from a powerful mafia boss, unaware of the price. The series racked up 21,000 followers, aided by the star power of Şaşmaz (4.2 million followers) and Barlas (2.7 million).
With 13,000 followers, the Turkish drama Can Borcu came in eighth on the December list. Revolving around the intersecting of two families linked by a tragic car accident, the atv series stars Mine Tugay, who has 4.2 million followers, and Cüneyt Mete, who has 567,000.
The Egyptian adaptation of Million Pound Menu, Million Pound Menu Egypt, garnered 9,000 followers to land in the ninth spot. The business/cooking format sees aspiring restaurateurs compete to secure life-changing investments. Each episode allows three chefs to present their culinary concepts live in a pop-up restaurant, and for 48 hours, real customers and the show’s board of investors can experience the restaurant. The series streams on Shahid VIP in the Middle East and airs on MBC Masr in Egypt. It comes from the producers of Shark Tank Egypt and features high-profile judges.
Starring Melisa Döngel (4.1 million followers) and Erdal Özyağcılar (510,000), the atv drama Holding rounds out the December Wit List with 7,000 followers on Instagram. It tells the story of Aydan, a young woman who holds a freediving world record, and her uphill battle against her siblings and the mafia’s attempt to take over the management of one of the country’s largest conglomerates.
