‘Yaga’ Starring Hudson Williams Launch Breaks AMC+ Record

AMC

When “Yaga” was first announced, there were plenty of eyes on the series. After all, it starred “Heated Rivalry’s” Hudson Williams, as well as “The Matrix” star Carrie-Anne Moss. It was clear that people were interested in the retelling of the Baba Yaga myth.

However, what people probably didn’t expect was that the launch of the series would break a record on AMC+. There are still five episodes to go, and the question for many is whether there will be a second season.

‘Yaga’ Is the Biggest Exclusive Launch on AMC+

AMC Networks announced that “Yaga” is the biggest launch to exclusively come to AMC+. It’s important to note the “exclusively” part, as there have been some excellent shows on AMC+ that have drawn in viewers, but they tend to air on AMC first. Some others have aired on the likes of Sundance Now and Shudder, and then they’ve moved to AMC+, as they are all part of the same overall brand.

Executive vice president of linear and streaming products for AMC Global Media, Courtney Thomasma, shared in a press release that “the response from fans has been overwhelming.” Not only did the show hit a viewer record, but it also broke the subscriber acquisition record for the service when it debuted on Oct. 23, 2026.

On top of that, it’s the No. 1 social drama across the whole of the United States for TV and streaming on its premiere day. People are excited to see the witchy genre-bending stories inspired by the legend.

It’s worth noting that “Yaga” is a Canadian series, showing that U.S. viewers want more from north of the border. It was created for Crave, the streaming service that also brought Williams’ “Heated Rivalry,” and AMC+ picked up the series for U.S. viewers.

There was an immense bidding war for the series, with chief content officer of AMC Global Media and president of AMC Studios Dan McDermott noting that Williams’ involvement was likely the reason for that. Williams takes on two roles in the series, starting out as Henry Park, the missing son of a wealthy fishery family, and Henry’s lookalike roommate, Logan Casey.

The ‘Heated Rivalry’ Effect

As soon as Williams was announced as part of the series, copies of Kat Sandler’s original play of the same name flew off the shelves. Sandler was surprised to find out that her play sold out the likes of Jane Austen on Amazon when it came to feminist literature.

By this point, Moss was already involved, as she is also an executive producer, and she noted that Williams’ involvement helped get eyes on the project. Clark Backo also commented that the hype around Williams is both exciting and surreal.

“Yaga” follows Noah Reid as Rapp, a PI who is hired by the Park family to find their son, Henry. However, as he partners with local cop Detective Carson (Backo), he realizes that the local university professor, Kathryn Hargrove (Moss), is hiding something big, and there may also be something supernatural going on.

Only three out of eight half-hour episodes of “Yaga” are currently available, with Episode 4 set to arrive on Friday, Nov. 6. There will be a two-episode finale on Nov. 27.