Ever try recommending a show to a friend and end up sounding slightly unhinged? “It’s a workplace comedy, but also a psychological thriller, and kinda sci-fi?”  That’s Genre Blur in action.  Since TV shows refuse to be put in a neat little box anymore, we wanted to see how audiences actually categorize what they watch. We dove into our data to understand how viewers perceive these mashups and how we can use that to get them to tune in.  While this report focuses on scripted/fictional TV series, we’ve got a movie study that just wrapped fielding so more to come for those clients soon!

What you’ll learn from this quick-hit piece:

• Genre blending is the standard: Audiences rarely see content through a single genre lens. On average, viewers assign 3 genres to any given TV series. This “genre blur” is the norm, indicating that marketing strategies should embrace and communicate this multi-faceted nature rather than relying on a single category.
• More genres can lead to more urgent viewership: There is a direct correlation between the number of genres a viewer associates with a title and their likelihood of watching it on its premiere day. 
• Marketing genre-rich titles requires “reassurance”: For content that blends several genres, viewer interest shifts from the originality of the premise to the overall story experience. To attract viewers to these complex narratives, marketing should focus on providing “reassurance” through social proof (cultural buzz, co-viewing), critical validation (reviews, recommendations), and high-quality visuals that showcase the depth of the world and cast.

*For stat sources and more information see PDF download

Download the full report below.