Research: Sizable potential TV audience for gaming IP
October 24, 2023
In today’s world, a perhaps under-leveraged IP are video games, suggests Hub Entertainment Research. Not for a lack of trying, but a track record full of shoddy movies based on gaming IP left gamers and the general public suspicious of anything based on gaming IP. This changed when The Last of Us hit TV screens at the start of the year.
The latest edition of Hub’s Gaming 360 report explores the role of gaming in entertainment consumption and how viewers feel about IP crossover with TV and movies.
There is a sizable potential audience for gaming IP.
Overall, 65 per cent of Americans age 16-74 say they play video games on at least one device at least once a week. Asked how they feel in general about their interest in watching TV series or movies based on video game IP, these weekly gamers are open to the idea: two in three (64 per cent) say they would be more interested in a TV series or movie if based on a video game.
The power of crossover IP.
Hub looked at a real-life case study, The Last of Us series which recently streamed on Max. Two in five (43 per cent) gamers sampled The Last of Us series, but the real power of crossover IP is shown when looking at gamers who had previously played The Last of Us video game: over four in five (82 per cent) of those who had previously played the video game sampled the series.
This crossover benefit included long-term engagement with the TV series. Among those who had watched the series, a greater proportion of those who had previously played the video game watched every episode of the series than those who had never played it before watching (62 per cent vs 49 per cent).
Not only does the benefit of The Last of Us crossover IP include higher sampling among those who have played the game, but it also creates a higher frequency of viewing, compounding the benefit. The Last of Us shows the potential value of extending gaming IP to other media – when it’s done right.
“Gaming IP can be a strong driver of series sampling, especially among the young men who still are the core of gaming – and highly desired targets of advertisers. But familiar gaming IP won’t make up for inferior production values,” commented David Tice Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research.