Summary
- Disney+ and Hulu are among the top streaming services, but have the lowest viewership among Gen Z viewers
- Netflix is the most popular streaming service among Gen Z, with 59% of their streaming time spent on it
- Disney+ has debuted several original shows, but they don’t seem to be attracting the interest of teenagers and young adults
Following Bob Iger confirming a $4 billion streaming loss, it’s learned that both Disney+ and Hulu are the least watched by the Gen Z crowd among the top streaming services, according to Samba TV which includes Disney as an investor.
Disney+ is the home of the Marvel and Star Wars shows, but Gen Z isn’t tuning in, which likely in part explains why viewership numbers are so low.
Hulu is also home to more adult shows and movies, such as The Bear and Predator Prey, but Gen Z isn’t tuning in to watch that, either, apparently.
What are they watching? Netflix of course.
5% of Gen Z’s time is watching Disney+
Gen Z includes those born between the years 1997 and 2012, so that is those between the ages of 12 to 27.
Samba TV released a chart that shows the percent of streaming time Gen Z viewers spent on each service, based on viewership of streaming originals in Q1 of 2024.
The chart shows 59% of Gen Z spent their time on Netflix, followed by 10% on WB’s MAX, followed by 9% on Prime Video, followed by only 5% on Disney+ and 4% on Hulu.
Younger generation not interested: Echo, X-Men, Star Wars, What If?, Percy Jackson
Original shows Disney+ has debuted in Q1 include Marvel’s Echo, X-Men ’97, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 (not to mention the ones already available).
What If…? Season 2 was dropped late December, so that can also be included in Q1, and Percy Jackson was dropped in late December and had episodes that went into Q1 2024, so that can be included as well.
The data particularly shows teenagers and those in their younger twenties aren’t interested. Disney has some work to do.
“With $450b in spending power, Gen Z consumers have become a key target for advertisers across all verticals. As this audience gets older and gains more spending power, they are showing to be particularly deliberate about where to shell out their cash, making it essential for advertisers to target them in ways that resonate,” states Samba TV in their guide.
