Popular true crime podcast Serial has set a new record.
The show’s third season, which premiered on Thursday, kicked off with two episodes that centered on the Cleveland judicial system and the cases that run through it. And according to podcast measurement firm Podtrac, both episodes scored more than 1.4 million downloads each, for a record-setting total of 2.89 million downloads. Vulture earlier reported on the news.
According to the report, the first episode, “A Bar Fight Walks Into the Justice Center,” nabbed 1.46 million downloads on the first day of availability. The second episode, “You’ve Got Some Gauls,” attracted 1.43 million unique downloads. The download figures are based on first-day results. Total downloads will likely continue to climb as time goes on and more people check out the show.
Serial is one of the most popular podcasts in recent memory. The first season investigated the 2000 conviction of Adnan Syed for the alleged murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. It quickly went viral and ultimately acted as the basis for Syed to seek another trial to overturn his conviction. That process is still ongoing.
The second Serial season centered on the story of U.S. solider Bowe Bergdhal, who deserted his post in Afghanistan and was captured and held by the Taliban for nearly five years.
Both seasons proved extremely popular and were released a bit more than a year apart between 2014 and 2015. Since then, however, Serial fans have been clamoring for another season. They finally got it last week and the download count suggests season three could be just as popular—if not more so—than the first two.
