Debuting on Netflix in 2022, Vikings: Valhalla serves as a sequel to The History Channel’s Vikings (2013-2020). The original show ran for twice as long as Valhalla, running for six seasons before reaching its conclusion. Valhalla is set a century after Vikings, so none of the characters from the original show appear in the spinoff. However, the lack of familiar faces doesn’t seem to hurt the audience response, and Netflix’s released streaming data suggests there will be many who will miss the show when it ends with Vikings: Valhalla season 3.

Netflix Report Proves Vikings: Valhalla Is A Success For The Streaming Platform

The Vikings sequel series has been a hit since it started

Alicia Agneson as Freydis and Sam Corlett as Leif Erikson in Vikings: Valhalla

According to the official Netflix engagement report, the two seasons of Vikings: Valhalla available to stream on the platform combined to spend a total of eight weeks in the top 10 most-watched TV shows in the US. The same report states that between January and June 2023, Vikings: Valhalla season 1 has been watched for a total of 116,500,000 hours globally. Vikings: Valhalla season 2 racked up even more collective viewing time, clocking in at 205,500,000 hours. Consequently, the streaming data proves why Netflix invested so much in Vikings: Valhalla season 1 and 2.

Although there is no guarantee that these viewing figures will continue to rise for Vikings: Valhalla season 3, the official Netflix streaming data at least shows there is still huge demand for the show. The decision to end Valhalla after its third season only becomes more intriguing when the words of a senior figure at Netflix are taken into account. Speaking with Bloomberg, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated, “We have never canceled a successful show.” From the available numbers, it’s hard to see how Netflix doesn’t view Vikings: Valhalla as a success.

Why Ending Vikings: Valhalla With Season 3 Is A Mistake

Vikings: Valhalla characters as they pose for battle in their armor, garments and swords Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson looking serious in Vikings: Valhalla
A violent battle in Vikings: Valhalla

Because of the streaming model, Netflix makes the most of its money through audience subscriptions to its service. Due to the saturation of the streaming market, some viewers don’t sign up for every platform at once. Instead, many sign up to one or more streaming service on an alternating basis, and the timing of their membership can depend on what new shows each platform has. Netflix’s own figures prove that Vikings: Valhalla is a big pull for viewers, with over 300 million combined viewing hours for the show in just a six-month period. Having Valhalla return for season 4 and beyond would act as an incentive for its customers to continue paying for their Netflix subscription.

Financial gain aside, the story of Vikings: Valhalla has no requirement to stop at season 3. Despite taking creative license at times, the show is based on actual historical events. As such, there is still plenty to explore within the show’s huge world that’s rich with interesting characters. Furthermore, Vikings: Valhalla being partially confined to real-life timelines doesn’t limit the potential of the show. In fact, it means the writers have more official material to delve into for future arcs.

Netflix Can Continue The Show’s Legacy Through Sequels And Spinoffs

Sam Corlett as Leif Erikson leaning on a boat in Vikings: Valhalla

Although already a sequel itself, there’s no reason why the ending of Vikings: Valhalla can’t spark a new show within the same universe. Of course, there’s also the possibility of more Vikings spinoffs. Whereas Valhalla picked up too long after Vikings to feature any of the same characters, a Valhalla spinoff need not have the same limitations. There are plenty of characters from the Vikings: Valhalla cast that a spinoff TV show could focus on when season 3 is over. A Vikings: Valhalla spinoff could also follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and feature another time jump.

However, the gulf in time doesn’t need to be quite so severe as between Vikings and Valhalla. As a result, a new spinoff could follow the offspring of Sam Corlett’s Leif Erikson. Although Valhalla mentions Leif’s children very little, one of his two sons went on to become Chieftain of Greenland in the real world. Being able to trace a character’s lineage back to another show from the same franchise would be an exciting experience for fans of the franchise. In short, Vikings: Valhalla season 3 doesn’t have to be the end of the property as a whole, and it shouldn’t be based on Netflix’s data.