Gen Z’s TV Favorites: Which Shows Are Winning Over Young Viewers? | Chart

Gen Z is a vital audience for networks and streaming platforms, particularly as the age group develops disposable income of its own in the years ahead. Their viewing habits differ from older generations, characterized by shorter attention spans that drive them to short-form content, a preference for user-generated content and less interest in traditional TV. These habits present a challenge for an industry accustomed to traditional methods.

Gen Z — familiar with on-demand content accessible on multiple devices, including smartphones — represents a significant portion of streaming audiences. As a result, many shows are now tailored specifically to this demographic.

To identify the TV shows that resonate most with Gen Z, we will combine two of Parrot Analytics’ capabilities: Demand data and Audience Demographics. The titles in the top right quadrant of the chart (shaded area) have made the biggest impact on this generation, combining high popularity (as measured by demand following a new season release) and a high percentage of Gen Z in their audience.

When it comes to appealing to Gen Z, animated shows are a strong choice. Animes like “My Hero Academia,” “Attack on Titan” and “One Piece” draw most of their audience from Gen Z and are highly popular in the U.S. American animated shows like Cartoon Network’s “Steven Universe,” Prime Video’s “Invincible,” and Disney+’s “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” have also been very successful with this demographic.

Dramatic content has also found success with Gen Z. Examples include HBO’s teen drama “Euphoria” (the only one not based on a pre-existing IP), Prime Video’s post-apocalyptic show “Fallout,” and Netflix’s comedy horror  “Wednesday.” Among Marvel’s offerings, “Loki” stands out as the most Gen Z-skewed show, with over 50% of its audience from this generation.

Shows near the boundary between quadrants also attract significant Gen Z audiences. “Rick and Morty,” “The Last of Us,” and surprisingly “Grey’s Anatomy” count roughly one-third of their viewers from Gen Z. In contrast, shows like the classic animation “The Simpsons,” Disney’s “The Mandalorian,” and “Saturday Night Live” have older audiences. These shows, which are all either a long-running show or part of a long-running IP, remain popular across all generations but do not particularly appeal to Gen Z.

The final group analyzed occupies the top left of the chart. These shows specifically cater to Gen Z tastes but were not extraordinarily impactful overall when released. Examples include animated series like “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off,” “Rwby,” and “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.”

This highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to engaging Gen Z, whose preferences are increasingly diverse. It also underscores the importance of balancing the appeal to specific demographic groups when curating content.

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