The Pitt (Max)

The breakout medical drama of 2025-2026, The Pitt on Max outperformed #6 The Last of Us in week-over-week viewership growth by 22%. Noah Wyle's real-time Pittsburgh ER drama became one of Max's biggest hits, with word-of-mouth praise driving a 340% increase in total viewing hours by its sixth episode. Critics and audiences agreed it was the best new drama in years, earning a 94% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes—3 points higher than the platform's typical top series. Its per-episode budget of $4.2 million is lower than the average for this list, yet it generates 1.8 times the engagement per dollar spent.