American Horror Story Season 13's Crossover Gamble Pays Off As Disney+'s #1 U.S. Series

Published Oct 1, 2026, 7:54 PM EDT

Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.

Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.

American Horror Story holds onto Disney+'s #1 spot in the U.S. following its new 3-part episode drop this week, earning a strong 86% Rotten Tomatoes score and proving that its experimental crossover approach to combine elements of previous seasons has paid off so far. For the first time in the iconic franchise's history, American Horror Story season 13 brings back multiple characters and storylines from previous seasons to create a one-of-a-kind viewing experience that creator Ryan Murphy described as an "Avengers"-like event.

American Horror Story season 13 sees the return of franchise legends such as Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Billie Lourd, and more. The latest season leans into the fact that it's the 13th season, a number historically unlucky or even evil, by making it an integral part of its narrative. Not only does American Horror Story season 13 feature a new story with multiple returning guests, but it also marks a tribute to the entire franchise, even though a 14th season is already in the works.

AHS Season 13 Is Disney+'s #1 Series In The U.S.

The recent popularity of American Horror Story season 13 has made the franchise the #1 most-watched show in the U.S. on Hulu and Disney+ after it has officially set an all-time release record. Even though the latest installment of the iconic horror series has sharply divided fans and critics, the viewership numbers of season 13 are undeniable. This tends to be a theme with Ryan Murphy's horror franchises such as this and Netflix's Monster, which have remained incredibly popular despite receiving mixed and even poor reviews.

After debuting to a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, American Horror Story season 13 dipped to an 86% based on only seven reviews. The Upcoming writes in their 3/5-star review, "There’s no doubt that 13 was made with superfans in mind. Not only is it thrilling to see Lange take centre stage, but this season shows signs of being a return to form for the horror anthology." However, this sentiment greatly contrasts with the season's 46% RT audience score, with a common consensus among viewers being that the first few episodes of the series failed to satisfy in terms of originality and entertainment value.

American Horror Story season 13 blew past Hulu and Disney+'s other popular new releases such as the Los Angeles-based sequel series The Drop: A Snowfall Saga and the breakout new hit crime thriller Furious. New episodes of American Horror Story season 13 will be released in small weekly batches every Thursday for the entire month of October, leading up to its season finale on October 29.

American Horror Story's Crossover Strategy Is Paying Off

The premiere of American Horror Story season 13 marked a monumental part of the franchise's history that set a high bar for viewership expectations for the rest of the season. Its poor audience reception is something to be concerned about as it hopes to maintain its #1 status on Hulu and Disney+, but the franchise has such a strong built-in fanbase that it remains one of Disney's most reliable horror assets, especially as spooky season is officially underway at the start of October.

The instant and overwhelming success of American Horror Story season 13 nearly proves that the series can do no wrong when it comes to drawing consistent audiences back year after year. Even if audiences are split after a handful of episodes, they are still choosing to tune in, which is really all it comes down to in the modern streaming environment. Based on this early momentum, combined with its historic multi-season crossover event appeal, American Horror Story season 13 is likely to hold on firmly to Disney's top viewership spot for the foreseeable future as Halloween draws near.

Question 1 of 3

American Horror Story

3/10

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  Kyle Spencer

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  Sarah Paulson

  Tuberculosis Karen / Mamie Eisenhower