The beloved Australian children’s show Bluey is not only incredibly popular in Australia, but also in the US.

In 2023, Bluey was the second-most-streamed TV show in the US, according to Nielsen ratings.

The ABC-BBC Studios program aimed at young children can be streamed on Disney+ in the US and it was the only show from Disney+ to make it in the 2023 Top 10 Acquired Streaming Programs.

In 2023, more than 43.9 billion minutes of Bluey was consumed, and it even overtook Cocomelon in the ratings, which Nielsen said was the most popular children’s show in 2021 and 2022.

The only show that beat Bluey was Suits. Americans viewed 57.7 billion minutes of the drama series in 2023.

NCIS was in third place and was followed by Grey’s Anatomy. Also in the top 10 were nostalgic favourites like Gilmore Girls, The Big Bang Theory and Friends.

Bluey is among the top acquired streaming programs in the US in 2023.

Americans love Australian children’s content

It’s clear Americans have a soft spot for the family of blue heelers. In 2022 Bluey was even honoured with a huge balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York.

It’s even won an international Emmy Kids Award, in addition to several awards in Australia.

It’s also not just children who love Bluey. Researchers from Australia conducted a survey that examined how audiences interacted with Australian children’s programming.

Of the 700 adult respondents, Bluey was the show they were most excited to watch with their children, thanks to its “unambiguously Australian setting, irreverent humour and family-orientated themes”.

The beloved Australian blue heeler soared above the crowds at the 96th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Of course, Bluey isn’t the only Australian export that has captivated audiences worldwide.

The Wiggles also found international success.

Despite being around for decades, The Wiggles have remained relevant here and abroad. The line-up has seen a few shake-ups over the years, but the group is still adored by children and adults.

Bluey confuses and delights Americans

The show has undeniably showcased some of the best aspects of Australian life and its fans aren’t just children, with adults also enamoured by the cartoon.

In January, there was an episode of Bluey that centred around cricket and it reduced former Aussie opener Ed Cowan to tears.

“If you’re a cricket fan, I don’t care how old you are, you have to watch this episode,” he said.

Perhaps the most amusing thing for Australian Bluey fans is that the show sometimes leaves people from overseas utterly confused.

In one episode, the pronunciation of the word “airport” left some utterly confused.

Some classic Australian slang from the show has also been translated for Americans, with words like “dunny” inspiring some children to use it instead of “toilet”.

Australian journalist Richard Glover opined that perhaps Bluey is Australia’s revenge. For years, Aussies have picked up American slang thanks to pop culture.

Glover also noted Bluey was showing the world a more realistic depiction of Australia.

“Australia is often portrayed internationally as a land of shark attacks, deadly droughts and tough outback men like Crocodile Dundee,” he wrote for the Washington Post.

“In truth, we’re a (mostly) suburban people, with (mostly) benign wildlife, populated by people (mostly) for whom parenting is life’s most important work.”