Award season brings in new audiences, and marketers should consider this as an opportunity to connect with viewers on TV streaming.
TV’s biggest night is around the corner, but nominated content is already driving increases in search and viewership. The Emmys, like many award shows often associated with the linear-dominant days of television, has struggled in recent years to capture the ratings it once did. Despite this, new search data from Roku proves the impact these moments still have on streaming audiences, particularly on viewers outside of a show’s typical demographic.
Here are a few key insights from our search data. Below, we also offer key takeaways for advertisers looking to reach streaming audiences.
Roku data shows that while shows were airing new episodes, the average weekly search volume was higher among one demographic – either P18-34 or P55+ – than it was for all P18+.⁴ However, during the week of the Emmy nominations, the week-over-week search increases were substantially higher among the opposite demo.⁵ This means interest spiked among those who weren’t as likely to search before.
Euphoria, for example, saw a week-over-week search average of 43% amongst Roku users 18-24 prior to the Emmy nominations. Users 55+ saw a week-over-week average of -20%. The week the Emmy nominations were announced, searches for Euphoria by users 55+ jumped 35%.⁶
Similarly, searches by users P55+ for Atlanta and The Ms. Pat Show, both shows that appealed to younger demographics at launch, jumped 25% and 51% after Emmy nominations, respectively.⁷ In other words -- Roku users are more likely to seek out shows that appeal to their demographic as episodes air, whereas Emmy nominations bring in a broader audience to search. Shows like Hacks, Station Eleven, and Impeachment: American Crime Story saw the inverse – attracting older audiences at launch and younger streamers after their nominations.
Based on these insights, here are a few suggestions for marketers to reach streaming audiences during Emmy season.
1. Showcase talent and genre
43% of Roku users surveyed say the genre influenced their decision to watch a new TV show. 29% of Roku users surveyed say the lead actor of a series influenced their decision.⁸
Highlight genre and cast in creative, especially if the actors themselves have been nominated.
2. Leverage Roku’s first party data capabilities
Reach users based on their searches to find streamers most likely to engage with your content. We make this easy in OneView, the ad platform built for TV Streaming.
3. Surround the streamer
Younger audiences are hyper-connected. Engage them across screens to ensure your award-nominated content is top-of-mind. Remember the opportunity to reach across generations with award-nominated content.
4. Go beyond Primetime
Gen Z Roku viewers (age 18-24) are more reachable during late night hours. 53% of Gen Z Roku users streamed during a weekday overnight daypart.⁹
Own the Roku Home Screen when this audience is more likely to be streaming.
Our findings indicate that while awards shows aren’t drawing in younger audiences, they’re still influential to them. This offers a unique engagement opportunity for entertainment marketers. The Emmys are a relic of a linear-dominant era, but its influence over viewing behavior still stands – even for streaming-first, digitally native generations like Gen Z. At the same time, we’re also seeing award buzz bringing older audiences to shows with typically younger viewership.
Marketers can use these insights to their advantage, engaging demographics outside of their target audience with post-nomination ads to capture incremental subscribers. If a service attracts both demographics throughout the year at different touchpoints, they can broaden their fan base and increase the likelihood of the series’ next season being a success.
To read more about what streamers searched in July on Roku, read Variety’s article here. For more streaming insights from Roku, subscribe to our newsletter.
¹ Roku Internal Data, 2022
² Week-over-week is week before Emmy nominations announcement vs. week after.
³ Day-over-day is day before and day after Emmy nominations announcement.
⁴ As of January 2020
⁵⁻⁷ Roku Internal Data, 2022
⁸ Roku Tune-In Survey, October 2021; Base: Overall sample; N=696
⁹ Roku Internal Data, 2021