A ‘Euphoria’ Video Game Would Be a Big Hit With New TV-to-Gaming ‘Switcher’ Audience, Fandom Study Finds

A video game based on HBO’s dark teen drama “Euphoria” is a key suggestion from this year’s edition of Fandom‘s Inside Entertainment study, which highlights the “entertainment and gaming tug of war.”

Per the user-contented-centric entertainment platform’s 2024 survey, which was released Monday, drama is potentially the top “untapped” genre for gaming companies, as drama fans who play video games prefer these genres: role-playing (RPG):73%, adventure:72%,simulation:62%,sandbox/open world:62%, puzzle:60%.

“What do we know about ‘Euphoria’ and why was it such a big hit? Obviously, you have an amazing cast, storyline — but what is the story? And it was a really interesting take on the genre at the time, because if you think about the other shows that were coming out, they are a lot more positive than ‘Euphoria,'” Fandom’s director of sales research and insights Ally Saraniti told Variety. “So it really entered in this darker look at what’s happening in the YA drama space. Looking at the building blocks of that — there’s the psychological element, the horror, there’s group dynamics and understanding what the different plays between the different characters are — that still exists in gaming. So if you want to reach that ‘switcher’ audience who is moving back and forth from entertainment and gaming, don’t just advertise around all gaming. Don’t just do takeovers of all gaming or try and blanket target gamers, because we have the data now to understand which parts of the gaming ecosystem are actually resonating with this audience and why.”

According to Fandom’s study, which was based on a survey of 5,500 entertainment and gaming fans aged 13-54, that “switcher” term refers to consumers who are shifting away from watching movies and binging TV shows in their free time to do other activities, including social media (47%), reading (56%) and hobbies (37%).

However, the study also shows that the top activity that gamers turn to when taking a break from gamingis watching TV and movies. Fandom’s research suggests “these industries are inevitably intertwined and could benefit from joint endeavors or conquest/win-back strategies.”

“There are shows like ‘American Idol,’ which make people feel competitive or community — but there’s elements of gaming there, in terms of the adrenaline rush and the interactivity and things, that probably aren’t going to be part of a compelling television experience,” Fandom chief marketing officer Stephanie Fried said. “We’re not going to say everything in TV should be a choose-your-own-adventure so that people are doing things while they watch a television s -

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how. What we will say though, is that where there are those links, in terms of the things that both of the TV show and a game do, that’s what I would think of as a bridge so that when audiences do make that switch, that connection is clear as to why they should be switching to you and your thing. We have elements like the player control, the achievement, the interactivity on the gaming side, and on the entertainment side, it’s having this experience of escapism, nostalgia, accessibility. And with companies, we want the, focusing on the branch pieces, because when audiences are switching, it’s about how do you lean in on the shared components.”

See below for additional findings from Fandom’s 2024 Inside Entertainment study, with data points in Fandom’s own words:

Top 3 Takeaways For Advertisers and Marketers

Switchers➔ Teens are slightly less likely to be switchers but +34% more likely to say they barely engage with entertainment➔ 25-44 year olds are +61% more likely to be switchers away from entertainment➔ *Gen Z is averageSwitcher Activities: When people turn away from entertainment, they are more likely to….➔ Teens (+13%) and 35-44 (+18%) are more likely to play games (older audiences can include those who are co-gaming with this kids)➔ Teens are +74% more likely to to switch to social media➔ 18-24 year olds are +81% more likely to be studying or focusing on education➔ 25-34 year olds are +22% more likely to take on new hobbies

Switcher Activities: When people turn away from gaming, they are more likely to….➔ Teens are (+33%) more likely to go on social media and 27% more likely to look for another video game to play➔ Gen Z is +59% more likely to lean into be studying or focusing on education➔ 25-44 year olds (+22%) are most likely to switch back to entertainment

Gaming Emotions and Motivators: Switchers➔ Teens are more likely to game as a sense of accomplishment (+29%) and for control (+27%)➔ 25-34 year olds feel a stronger connection to the characters (+62%) and storylines (+39%)➔ 45-54 year olds find that gaming is a better way to connect and spend time with their children(+91%)

Gaming Genres: Among Switchers:➔ Teens are more likely to play sports (+89%), fighting (+57%) and Battle Royale (+54%) games➔ Gen Z is more likely to play Racing (+34), Platform (+29%) and Fighting (+15%)➔ 45-54 year olds are more likely to play sports games (+25%)

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