David Farnor | On 22, Dec 2018

Black Panther and The Walking Dead were the most popular film and TV show on Google Play this year, the online giant has announced.

While Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other subscription services tend to hog media headlines, renting and buying movies is a key part of the online industry, particularly when it comes to smaller films being released day-and-date on VOD that would not otherwise be available to audiences across the country. When it comes to the most rented or purchases movies of the year, though, it’s the mainstream hits that prove the biggest draw, with Black Panther dominating Google Play’s list of the top five most-watched movies.

Black Panther is followed, naturally, by two other superhero movies: Avengers: Infinity War and Thor: Ragnarok, as the MCU’s climax after 10 years of solo and crossover movies inspired fans to catch up on previous Marvel outings. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Deadpool 2 were the fourth and fifth most rented or purchased movies through Google Play.

When it comes to TV, AMC’s The Walking Dead remains the biggest hit, followed by the teen drama Riverdale (available on Netflix in the UK, where audiences would not have had to rent or buy it to keep up), The Big Bang Theory, The Flash and – in a sign of the clout that younger viewers have in family households – PAW Patrol.

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