Idaho College Murders Doc Series Grabs Attention On Netflix; 'Ransom Canyon' Season 2 Off To Slow Start
Deadline
β’Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:44:28 +0000
π° What Happened
Netflix's new three-part documentary series 'The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare,' about the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students, debuted at No. 1 on the streamer's English-language TV rankings with 18.2 million views in its first five days. Meanwhile, 'Ransom Canyon' Season 2 opened slowly at No. 2 with 5.5 million views for the week of July 27 to August 2, a modest bump from its premiere week but below expectations, with Season 1 also returning to the list at No. 5.
π The Backstory
The 2022 slayings of four University of Idaho students in Moscow, Idaho became one of the most closely followed true-crime cases in recent memory, culminating in the arrest and trial of Bryan Kohberger. Netflix and other streamers have capitalised heavily on public appetite for true-crime documentaries. 'Ransom Canyon' is a romantic-western Netflix series now in its second season.
π― Why It Matters
The Idaho murders doc's instant dominance confirms the sustained power of true crime as a driver of Netflix viewership and engagement. The slow start for 'Ransom Canyon' Season 2 shows how sequel series in less-dominant genres face tougher ratings expectations. These moves are closely watched by the streaming industry as signals of what content reliably draws audiences.
Netflix's new three-part documentary series 'The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare,' about the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students, debuted at No. 1 on the streamer's English-language TV rankings with 18.2 million views in its first five days. Meanwhile, 'Ransom Canyon' Season 2 opened slowly at No. 2 with 5.5 million views for the week of July 27 to August 2, a modest bump from its premiere week but below expectations, with Season 1 also returning to the list at No. 5.
The 2022 slayings of four University of Idaho students in Moscow, Idaho became one of the most closely followed true-crime cases in recent memory, culminating in the arrest and trial of Bryan Kohberger. Netflix and other streamers have capitalised heavily on public appetite for true-crime documentaries. 'Ransom Canyon' is a romantic-western Netflix series now in its second season.
The Idaho murders doc's instant dominance confirms the sustained power of true crime as a driver of Netflix viewership and engagement. The slow start for 'Ransom Canyon' Season 2 shows how sequel series in less-dominant genres face tougher ratings expectations. These moves are closely watched by the streaming industry as signals of what content reliably draws audiences.