‘The Chi’ Season 7 Premiere Is Most-Streamed In Series History With 2M Cross-Platform Viewers

The Chi has broken a series record with its Season 7 premiere. The episode drew two million cross-platform viewers, making it the most-streamed in series history, up 2% on streaming versus last season, according to Showtime.

“With the seventh season of The Chi, Lena Waithe raised the bar creatively and it shattered viewership records, becoming the most-watched season premiere in the show’s history, ” said Chris McCarthy, Co-CEO of Paramount Global and President of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. “Lena’s storytelling defies convention and cuts through cliché, revealing the depth, power and complexity of life on the South Side of Chicago with fearless honesty.”

The Chi is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.

Directed by Nancy C. Mejia, the premiere episode focuses on Alicia, on a mission to find her son’s killer, starts her rampage. Fatima gives Victor an ultimatum and Bakari makes a costly deal.

The main ensemble cast includes Jacob Latimore, Lynn Whitfield, Yolonda Ross, Shamon Brown Jr., Michael V. Epps, Birgundi Baker and Luke James.

The Chi is produced by 20th Television. Created and executive produced by Lena Waithe (Twenties, Master of None) under her Hillman Grad banner, the series is executive produced by co-showrunners Justin Hillian (Hillianaire Productions) and Jewel Coronel, and Common (Selma).

Additional executive producers include Aaron Kaplan (A Million Little Things, The Neighborhood), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Resheida Brady-Anderson, Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone of ID8 Multimedia as well as Naomi Funabashi, who oversees for Hillman Grad and Rishi Rajani, CEO of Hillman Grad. Supervising producers Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield directed multiple episodes in season seven.