Netflix is the #1 streamer for the most in-demand video game adaptations
Posted on October 4, 2022
The streaming leader’s catalog includes seven of the top 10 most popular series based on gaming IP
Netflix is clearly investing in video game adaptations, and it’s paying off. According to data from Parrot Analytics, which considers consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other things, five of the top 10 most in-demand series based on gaming IP are Netflix originals and exclusive shows.
Additionally, Pokémon and Talking Tom and Friends are licensed content on Netflix, making a total of seven of the top 10 video game adaptations available in the Netflix catalog.
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Netflix’s latest video game adaptation, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, has been very successful in its first two weeks. Based on the dystopian game Cyberpunk 2077, the animated series has 15.49 times more demand than the average show in the US in September. That’s a very high number for a foreign language show in the US. Only three other shows based on video game IP have been more popular this month so far.
Ever since video games became very popular in the mid-1980s, a number of video game adaptations have attempted to ride the wave. Video games often offer an intriguing story, charismatic characters that are already known and loved by their audience, and an immersive atmosphere that can be very successful when skilfully translated to television. Additionally, popular video games usually have a dedicated fan base ready to consume any content related to their favorite game.
The most requested video game adaptation last month was Netflix’s hit series The Witcher, with demand 29.22 times the average. The Witcher franchise is based on a book series that inspired a video game series that in turn inspired the TV series and is one of Netflix’s most popular IPs. The show is the fifth most popular Netflix Original in September. A prequel miniseries, The Witcher: Blood Origin, is slated for release in December 2022.
Netflix’s Arcane, a show set in the fictional universe of the game League of Legends, was the third most popular video game adaptation in the past month. The demand for this show is driven by the huge popularity of the game worldwide, which is considered to be one of the biggest esports in the world.
There is relevant demand for older video game franchises. Some of the most successful shows are adaptations of game series that started in the 1980s or 1990s, such as Pokémon, Sonic Boom, and Castlevania. The Pokemon TV series, the most requested of them, was released in 1997 and has since become very popular around the world, which has helped the Pokemon video game series become very popular outside of Japan. Sonic Boom and Castlevania were inspired by video game franchises first released in 1991 and 1986, respectively. These franchises are able to renew their fan base through their newer releases while retaining fans who want to watch series based on the video games they played when they were younger.
All but two of the top 10 most wanted shows based on video games are animated series. (The only live-action series are The Witcher and Halo.) Demand for the animation genre has grown faster than overall growth in demand for series in the US market, particularly after April 2021.
Between January 2021 and August 2022, demand for animated content grew by almost 50%, while overall demand for series in the US grew by about 20%. Aside from demand for video game adaptations, the growth in demand for animation will be driven heavily by demand for Japanese anime such as Attack on Titan and My Hero Academy and older animated sitcoms such as South Park, Rick and Morty and “The Simpsons”.
Christofer Hamilton is Senior Insights Analyst and Daniel Quinaud is Senior Data Analyst at Parrot Analytics, a WrapPRO partner. For more information on Parrot Analytics, visit the Data and Analysis Hub.