Hit HBO series The Last of Us drove a big increase in gameplay among streamers, according to new Roku data.
Based on the iconic video game, The Last of Us offers a prime example of just how much gamers have become shapers of pop culture. Adapting popular video games to TV and film is a growing trend as studios and streaming platforms seek to capitalize on the built-in fandom of these franchises. And the strategy is working, as streamers enthusiastically embraced adaptations ranging from Mortal Kombat to Resident Evil.
The Last of Us was the biggest such hit to date, becoming HBO’s second-most watched series premiere in over a decade. Not only that, the series triggered an avalanche of new gaming activity among fans, as detailed in the chart below.¹
The Last of Us drove a resurgence of gameplay and there was a direct correlation between the TV show and video game. Each episode release on HBO Max drove more Roku gamers to their PlayStation consoles to play.
As a result, The Last of Us gaming reach nearly doubled after the TV show release.²
For marketers, our research suggests there is clear opportunity to capitalize on Hollywood’s production of video game adaptations on a streaming platform like Roku that has unique streaming and gaming ACR data. Consider aligning marketing efforts around key premieres like The Last of Us to boost your gaming reach.
This surge of gaming activity is perhaps to be expected, since one in three gamers is a Roku streamer. This affinity gives Roku unique insights into post-streaming gaming activity. With the help of Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, we can identify what console gamers are playing on their Roku TVs based on data collected from users who consented to the collection of this data. We know when Roku users have a specific video game console connected via the HDMI ports of their Roku TV, allowing us to include this data in our reporting.³
Based on our insights, Roku gamers are receptive to positive ad experiences that are relevant to their interests, helping them discover new shows to watch and games to play.
Here are some more insights on the overlap between Roku streamers and gaming audiences:⁴
The ripple effect created by HBO Max’s The Last of Us on console gameplay shows gaming marketers can work with Roku to promote, create and extend the life cycle of their titles. While the gaming audience can be hard to find, we’re seeing that gamers broadly overlap with the streaming audience.
By working with Roku, marketers can access signals and data across every point of the gamer’s journey: before they play, while they are playing, or while they are streaming – all on the biggest screen in the home.
Contact us to learn more insights about Roku gamers, what they are watching, and how they are playing.
¹ Roku Internal ACR + Search Data, 2023; Gameplay defined as the number of Roku households that played ”The Last of Us” on a Roku TV from December 2022 to March 2023
² Among HBO Max viewers and searchers of title
³ Data becomes aggregated, removing personally identifiable information before it is received by advertisers
⁴ Roku Internal Data, 2022