'The Chosen' reaches No. 1 on Apple TV app store as Season 4 debuts

Actor Jonathan Roumie, centre, portrays Jesus Christ in Season Four of the series "The Chosen".(Photo: "The Chosen")

The widely acclaimed streaming series 'The Chosen' has achieved another milestone, took the No. 1 spot in the Apple TV App Store during the first week of June, coinciding with the release of the first episode of its much-anticipated fourth season.

Additionally, the series reached the No. 2 position in the overall free app chart in the App Store, reflecting its growing popularity and expansive viewer base.

The series stars Jonathan Roumie in the role of Jesus Christ. The actor has commented that his time on 'The Chosen' has "deepened" his faith and changed his relationship with God. "It makes me want to be a better version of myself and the best human being possible," he explained.

According to the company behind 'The Chosen', the series garnered an impressive 3.5 million streams in its first three days, which translates to an estimated 4.2 million viewers across U.S. households.

Series creator and director Dallas Jenkins expressed his appreciation for the enthusiastic response from viewers. "The numbers are great, but what speaks to us far more are the comments and emotional response from the viewers," Jenkins said. "The crying emojis in the chat and the expressions of how much the ending impacted them were overwhelming."

Indeed, engagement with the biblical story has rarely been so well received by a contemporary audience of this size and immediacy.

This latest achievement is part of a number of successes for 'The Chosen'. In 2023, the Season 3 finale reached No. 1 at the box office on its opening night. Similarly, in 2021, 'Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers' topped the box office on its first two nights at the beginning of December.

The show's reach has been further amplified by endorsements from celebrities such as Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, who have openly expressed their admiration for the series. Jenkins acknowledged the impact of such endorsements, saying, "It's less for me about the celebrity factor. But when Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani say that they're obsessed with the show, they have millions and millions of followers who are now going to consider it because of that - and they might not have otherwise considered it before."

As a means of evangelising the Christian message to a viewing audience of millions of people, 'The Chosen' has proved to be a remarkable success. New episodes of Season 4 are being released sequentially in the USA on Sunday evenings at 7.00pm Eastern and Thursdays at 8.30pm Eastern on social media and 'The Chosen' app.

All episodes can be viewed for free, maintaining the series' accessibility to a broad audience.