ABC Premieres 8 p.m. 'Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro' With Robert Irwin

Q: With Hollywood's biggest stars launching new shows simultaneously, which streaming giant will win this week's battle for viewers?

Netflix looks best positioned to win this week’s viewer battle, though there is no hard ratings data yet to prove it. The strongest case is volume and breadth. Netflix is releasing both “The Hawk” on July 16, a Will Ferrell-led sports comedy with a broad mainstream appeal, and “Heartstopper Forever” on July 17, the finale film to a well-established young-adult romance franchise with a loyal global fan base. That gives Netflix two distinct audience draws in back-to-back days. Apple TV+ has a prestige play with “Lucky,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening and Timothy Olyphant. It may generate strong critical attention and solid sampling, but Apple typically operates with a smaller subscriber base than Netflix, which can limit total viewing even for buzzy originals. Prime Video’s “Ride or Die,” led by Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham, is also a serious contender. Its action-comedy premise and recognizable cast could travel well, especially if all episodes drop at once. But based on the information provided, it has one major launch this week, while Netflix has two. The available background also supports Netflix’s momentum more broadly. It recently posted one of 2026’s biggest original-series debuts with “I Will Find You,” showing the platform still has the largest breakout potential when it launches high-profile titles. So the most evidence-based answer is Netflix, with Prime Video likely the closest challenger and Apple TV+ the prestige alternative.

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jul 13

ABC airs “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” at 8 p.m. Monday, launching a spinoff focused on selecting the franchise’s next professional dance teacher.
Robert Irwin hosts the new competition, which shifts attention from celebrity contestants to the expert partners who train them for the ballroom.
The premiere leads a July 13-19 TV lineup that also includes Apple TV’s “Lucky” and Prime Video’s “Ride or Die” on Wednesday, Netflix’s “The Hawk” on Thursday, and “Heartstopper Forever” on Friday.