The Symphony Advanced Media ranked top ranked shows for Millennials aged 18-24 years old. The top four have something in common: they weren’t on network or cable TV.
The top four shows among younger millennials were all on Netflix. The top show was “Making a Murderer” a true crime show following a controversial Wisconsin case. Other top shows, all on Netflix are “Master of None”, “F is for Family” (an adult cartoon about a 1970s family), and “Marvel’s Jessica Jones”. Making a Murderer was a hit with older millennials from 25-34. The top network hits with this age group were Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers. This viewing habits were tracked between September 21, 2015 and January 31, 2016. There’s a reason Netflix shows like “Family Guy”, ?”Jane the Virgin”, and “New Girl” did so well among 18-24 millennials. These shows are streamed either live or next day for 35 days. Shows from other streaming shows companies like Hulu and Amazon did well, too. Not everybody is following this trend. Among Gen Xers, those aged 35-51, nine of their top ten favorites are on the main four major networks: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.
But it’s the Millennial viewing habits, particularly the younger ones, that are responsible for Netflix’s rise to power. They’re shows are even winning awards. I have two explanations for this. Look at the astronomical cost of cable/satellite/FIOS today. That’s because they’re all controlled by a small handful of companies. Younger people don’t want to, or can’t pay for such services. For less than $10 a month, they can get the same quality of entertainment. There’s the creative factor. If you look at Netflix, the majority of their shows are rated M. Younger people love racier TV. On the other hand, Gen Xers (like me) and Baby Boomers long for the days of family hour TV. Netflix can go where network TV often can’t. Why do you think Netflix is so popular with young adults?