David Farnor | On 26, Sep 2020

Shudder has officially broken the million barrier, with more than 1 million subscribers worldwide.

AMC’s subscription streaming service dedicated to horrors, thrillers and the supernatural first launched in 2015, later arriving in the UK and Ireland in October 2016. Since then, its array of exclusives, originals and genre classics has made it a go-to destination for the scary and spooky.

Shudder’s first original scripted series, Creepshow, broke all of the streamer’s viewership records when it debuted in 2019 and finished as the top-reviewed new horror series across all networks and streamers that year. Creepshow is currently in production on Season 2. Its hosted movie show The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs has also proven a social media success in the US, with new episodes typically trending #1 on Twitter on the night they debut.

That surge in streams and sign-ups has continued throughout 2020 with its second hit original series, Cursed Films, and a number of popular original films that includes The Room, Z, The Beach House and, notably, Host. Rob Savage’s lockdown horror was written and shot in just 12 weeks during quarantine and has gone on to become a mainstream breakout hit. Host is currently the number one horror film of the year on Rotten Tomatoes. (Read our review here.)

Shudder’s growth has also been fuelled by a string of successful launches on new platforms and in new territories. In August, Shudder debuted in Australia and New Zealand, further expanding its international reach, which includes the US, Canada, Germany, the UK and Ireland.

“The addition of original series and movies turbocharged our growth and turned Shudder into a must-have service for anyone interested in great horror, thriller or supernatural entertainment,” said Miguel Penella, AMC Networks SVOD President. “Our relentless focus on quality programming, innovative content and finding the best up-and-coming creators has enabled Shudder to break out in the crowded world of subscription services. Shudder’s success comes as our other targeted SVOD services—Acorn TV, Sundance Now and UMC—continue their strong subscriber growth momentum by super-serving passionate fans with the content they love the most.”

A subscription to Shudder currently costs £5.99 a month and is available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox and Amazon Prime Video Channels. For more on what to stream on Shudder, see our guide to the best horror films on the service.

Add to Watchlist