Analyzing the Primary Audience for Upcoming Amazon Series

You’ve polished off Stranger Things, had your mind blown by Mindhunter and ticked off The Tick – So what’s next? We’ve decided to look ahead to see what the streaming behemoths have in store for us in 2018 and investigate the core audience each of these shows will appeal to.
First off: Amazon.
We are using our Audience Finder to investigate the core audience of the company’s upcoming shows in the US, based on inferred interests. Generating chatter and a fan base there will increase the chance that the shows become popular in Amazon’s other markets as well.
“The biggest takeaway is that once again, our overall content investment is increasing, which will allow us to continue to meet customer demand around the world for high quality and engaging programming (…)” (Roy Price, former Amazon Entertainment Chief)
Amazon’s main priority is to “find the next Game of Thrones” and win over a global audience. This plan which includes 3 sci-fi adaptations in 2018. For these shows to fulfill their global ambitions, they will likely have to start with a strong buzz in Amazon’s primary market, the US.
Lazarus- comics core audienceBased on a comic book by Greg Rucka, Lazarus is set in an alternative future. The world has been divided among 16 rival families, who run their territories in a feudal system. Each family employs a specialized assassin known as “Lazarus” to help stop uprisings and wars.
This show will likely appeal to viewers interested in the comic book and graphic novel scene, as well as console gamers. Our research indicated that this is a primarily male core audience and a fairly young one- most of them being 21-30 y.o.

Greg Rucka’s fan base is not necessarily extensive, but it will surely be leveraged to attract audiences to Lazarus. Again, it is a primarily male audience, but also a slightly older one (going up to 50 years old).

Compelling visual and narrative storytelling is what could push this show past its core audience and into the mainstream. So could a start studded cast, familiar to international audiences.
Snow Crash- cyberpunk core audienceAn hour-long sci fi drama set in a futuristic America, Snow Crash is based on Neal Stephenson’s cult novel. In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza. But in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. He’s sucked into a plot as a computer virus begins to infect players in the virtual world, and has to track down the people behind it.
The novel itself (first published back in 1992) and its author have a mature fan base– primarily 36 to 50 year olds. They are likely to constitute the show’s core audience and contribute to positive word of mouth.

For a younger audience, the story’s cyberpunk and sci fi elements are likely to be the most appealing. The genres also have a strong fan base among over 60 year olds. Ultimately the approach to the narrative will determined if they are hooked by the TV show version of Snow Crash.

Mr Robot fans around the world will probably be interested to check out this show. While Sam Esmail is not involved in this project, he is collaborating with Amazon for another upcoming show; Homecoming, starring Julia Roberts is based on a fictional podcast produced by Gimlet media.
Ringworld- futuristic sci fi core audienceLarry Niven’s sci-fi book series from the 70’s is the basis for this show. It tells the story of Louis Gridley Wu, a bored man celebrating his 200th birthday in a technologically-advanced, future Earth. He is enlisted by an alien species to participate in an expedition to locate a mysterious object in space. After crash-landing on the massive construct, he and his crew have to find a way to escape.
The novel is followed by several sequels, and fits in Niven’s much larger Known Space setting. This provides Amazon with a plenty of options for an expansive show.
This is the most purebred science fiction show of the three. This makes it more likely to click with a larger audience, especially fans of the Alien franchise, 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Thing.
The core audience in the US will likely be fans of the novel which, as revealed by the Gruvi Audience Calculator, are predominantly male and over 40 y.o. (most over 45).

Stay tuned next week for a similar analysis of core audiences for upcoming Netflix shows!
You can use the Audience Finder yourself to research audiences for your upcoming release of a movie, show, video game or event. And if you’re looking for advice to shape your online marketing strategy, drop us a line! We can provide up to 2 hours of free consultancy including an audience and creative review, channel strategy and optimal media spend.

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