A24 Takes on Taylor Sheridan for the Streaming Crown

Let me set the scene here: Taylor Sheridan, the guy who cranks out streaming hits like he's got a deal with a genie—Yellowstone, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, more spin-offs than you can count—was sitting pretty as the so-called 'King of Streaming.' For a while, nobody else was even close. But, surprise: A24, the indie darlings mostly known for offbeat movies, have quietly muscled their way into the TV power struggle. And right now, they've basically hijacked the charts on not one, not two, but three different streaming services. Not bad for a company that gave us Civil War and Marty Supreme, right?

How Did A24 Get Here?

Back in 2014, if you told anyone A24 would one day be throwing elbows with the big TV studios, you probably would have gotten an eye roll. Their first tiny foray into TV was a weird little digital show called Fireside Chat with Esther and a more mainstream sitcom, Playing House, on USA Network. Not exactly prestige stuff. Over the next few years, A24 kept taking swings. There were hits with very niche crowds—Comrade Detective in 2017, then Random Acts of Flyness in 2018—but nothing that screamed 'giant TV contender.'

Then, out of nowhere, came Euphoria. I remember when this thing launched—it wasn't an overnight juggernaut. Critics were split, and the debut numbers weren't huge. But social media, as usual, had other ideas: buzz started building, the cast (Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and more) suddenly turned into household names, and basically everyone under thirty couldn't stop talking about it. That was the launchpad: A24 finally had its first real TV phenomenon.

A24's Current Playlist: Hits on Every Platform

Fast-forward to today—Euphoria is now on its third season (probably the last), and what do you know, it's sitting at #1 on HBO Max's Top 10 both in the US and everywhere else (according to Flix Patrol). Yes, the final season hype is doing a lot of the lifting there, but nobody can argue with those numbers. And that's not their only big entry in the TV race.

• Beef (Netflix): This is the Emmy-winning, Golden Globe-winning show that started as a 2023 underdog and is now, with its new season, the #1 series on Netflix in the United States (and #6 globally). Awards love it, critics love it, viewers eat it up with a spoon.
• Margo's Got Money Troubles (Apple TV): If you haven't heard of this one yet, you will. Elle Fanning, Nick Offerman, Greg Kinnear, Thaddea Graham, and Michelle Pfeiffer (funny enough, she's also starring in Sheridan's upcoming The Madison) lead this surprisingly sharp comedy-drama about a mom turning to OnlyFans to make ends meet. It just premiered on April 15—and it's already clocking in at #1 in all territories on Apple TV, plus it has a nearly flawless 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Next Battleground

The numbers don't lie—A24 is now the only studio giving Sheridan a run for his streaming throne. And they're not slowing down. There are at least ten more TV projects in the pipeline, including a Friday the 13th prequel called Crystal Lake that's already generating buzz before filming a single scene.

Sheridan, meanwhile, is reportedly planning to jump from Paramount to NBCUniversal in 2029, which could be its own wild shake-up. But right now? If A24 isn't on your radar as a top-shelf TV contender, you're just not paying attention.

'With Euphoria still crushing it, Beef grabbing awards and audience eyeballs, and Margo's Got Money Troubles nailing both critic and fan approval, A24 has basically built the indie TV empire nobody saw coming. Sheridan might have kickstarted the streaming land rush, but for the first time, it's not just his game anymore.'