Reports Games

Rebooting video fandom Games as a video streaming genre

Tim Mulligan, Karol Severin, Perry Gresham, Sam Griffin and Ben Woods
Cover image for Rebooting video fandom
Report Synopsis Presentation Spreadsheet

Get full access to this report and assets

Already a MIDiA client? Login here to view this report.

If you are interested this report, or related reports such as The Sports Rights Bubble Reaching The Tipping Point, Year of change Themes that will shape entertainment in 2023 and TV monetisation The third way get in touch today to enquire about a report bundle.

20,000 foot view:  With gamers being mainstream, video streaming services and their content offerings can benefit by increasing focus on the preferences of gamers. Crucially, this enables subscription video on demand (SVOD) services to drive engagement, broaden reach and improve retention. While TV adaptations of games are not new, the sheer size of the gamer population among subscribers now warrants TV adaptations to remain closely tied to the original game, as illustrated by the success of The Last of Us . Simultaneously, game developers, publishers and distributors can benefit from increased brand awareness, engagement, and sales uplift, afforded by the cross promotion of the IP as a TV show. Given benefits for both the games and the streaming industry, expect this media fusion across games and video to become the new normal in TV show commissioning. 

Key insights 

  • As of                       of consumers are gamers
  • Gamers spend            on streaming TV shows and            every month, compared to            hours            non-gamers 
  • Gamers spend            money on video streaming than                       per month on average, versus           
  • The average            has more video subscriptions            than            average non-gamer            meaning gamers could            harder for SVOD services to           
  • Given the            and value of gamers in            service userbases, it makes increasing            for video services to cater            gamer preferences
  • There is            case for successful TV adaptations            games to closely replicate the            game, as illustrated by the            of The Last of Us
  • For games            TV adaptations can rekindle interest            older games as well as            hype for DLCs, game seasons            in-game purchases
  • Coordinating episodic            of TV adaptations alongside releases            the game (e.g., DLC or            game seasons) can turn competition            video and games into synergy
  • Action, horror            comedy are key video genres            gamers, with anime and adult            being more niche, but with            stronger degree of over-index
  • SVOD services            to understand the gamer nuances            their respective audiences to action            opportunity in the most effective           

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Apple TV+, Call of Duty, CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Cyberpunk            Disney+, Grand Theft Auto, HBO, Microsoft, Monster Hunter, Naughty Dog, Netflix, Persona, PlayStation, PlayStation Productions, Stranger Things, The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, The Witcher, Top Gun, Twitch, Uncharted, Xbox Game Pass, YouTube Premium