ANALYST REPORT

The State of
Media & Entertainment
How media companies can find the next wave of growth in
2023 amid macroeconomic uncertainty

JANUARY 2023

© 2022 Morning Consult. All rights reserved.

IN THIS REPORT

3 Executive Summary

4 Key Takeaways

5 Video Streaming

13 Social Media

19 Video Games, Esports and Metaverse

26 Digital Audio

32 About the Report & Methodology

2
 Morning Consult’s semiannual State of Share of U.S. adults who said they often tried to save over
Executive Summary Media & Entertainment report tracks the
the past month in each category due to rising inflation:

most important media trends and distills 50% Groceries

With the economy not how executives in the industry can
capitalize on them.
likely to improve much in 45%
Most consumers are now comfortable with
the near term, media outdoor activities again, but rising interest Gas

rates and increased production costs in

40%
executives should brace 2022 contributed to a year where growth
fell short of expectations. The biggest
for some consumers to media companies lost over $500 billion in 35% Restaurants
market value last year, and as 2023
be even choosier with
begins, executives need the latest insights Entertainment
their entertainment on how consumers are approaching media 30% experiences
to ensure that this year won’t be a repeat
expenditures in 2023. of the previous one. Electronics
25% Subscription
Based on survey interviews with more than services
2,200 adults across the United States, this
report provides insight into the consumer 20%
trends that will shape the future of the Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22
media and entertainment sector.

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

3
Key Takeaways

1 2
Boom times for video streaming are over. Winning the short-form video race
Lower-priced ad tiers will only help so much, making it imperative for
remains paramount for social media players.
streamers to be able differentiate themselves through areas like live Startups like BeReal and Post News have gained popularity, but it’s
content and free ad-supported streaming TV options. unclear any new player will establish itself as a creator economy
READ MORE pillar like TikTok has. None of the TikTok copycat products have
managed to usurp Bytedance’s service in the minds of Gen Zers.
READ MORE

3 4
Video game IP needs more attention from Newer digital audio initiatives are far from
media companies. monetizing the average consumer.
The consumers who spend the most time gaming also tend to be While some consumers do regularly use social audio services like
much more interested in moviegoing and video streaming than Clubhouse and pay for podcast subscriptions, they’re the exception
the average adult, so more content geared toward gamers rather than the rule.
should be developed. READ MORE
READ MORE

4
SECTION #1

Video Streaming
As domestic video streaming service growth slows,
a greater focus must be placed on the cost-
effective ways to diversify growth strategies

5
Tough times for domestic streaming growth have shifted the focus to profitability
Share of U.S. adults considering purchasing a subscription to each: The years of unbridled growth for the video streaming
landscape are long gone. Netflix’s H1 ‘22 subscriber
losses were most emblematic of the industry’s
60%
slowdown, but U.S. growth hasn’t been easy for others
either. Services like Peacock grew their domestic
Netflix
subscriber count, but purchase consideration for major
50%
Prime Video U.S. streamers failed to move by more than 5
percentage points between January and the end of
Hulu December of 2022 — meaning that the competitive
40%
Disney+ standing didn’t change.

Peacock
Paramount+ The year of lackluster growth woke investors up to the
30% HBO Max overspending that comes with chasing subscribers. As
a result, the measure of streaming success widened to
Discovery+
be much more inclusive of profitability progress. For
20% Apple TV+ example, Disney experienced its worst one-day stock
drop since 2001 after reporting a nearly $1.5 billion
loss for its DTC unit in November, despite adding over
10% 12 million Disney+ subscriptions in fiscal Q4. This is
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec why media companies can no longer afford to go all-in
’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22
on growing subscriber counts, and why Warner Bros.
Discovery turned away from expensive straight-to-
streaming films like “Batgirl.”
Source: Morning Consult Brand Intelligence

6
Streamers are right to focus on Gen Z, but they can’t lose sight of other age cohorts
Streamers have long invested in building out Gen Z audiences; after all, Share who said they used each service at least once in the past month:
resonating with Gen Zers will help ensure that streamers remain relevant All adults Gen Z adults
for the foreseeable future.
Netflix ad-free 51% 73%
They’re doing so through big-budget series, which are becoming more Hulu with ads 35% 52%
crucial for appealing to younger consumers. So it makes sense that Netflix Prime Video 47% 49%
— the service churning out pricey TV hits most consistently — saw the Disney+ ad-free 31% 48%
greatest number of Gen Zers reporting usage of its services in December. Hulu ad-free 31% 47%
HBO Max ad-free 30% 45%
However, companies can’t afford to ignore older consumers, who make HBO Max with ads 25% 39%
up demos that are relatively untapped by streaming services. While 25%
Netflix with ads 33% 38%
of Gen Xers and 40% of baby boomers said in December that they don’t Disney+ saw one of the
Peacock* 34% 37%
subscribe to any streaming services, those figures were much lower for biggest differences in usage
Paramount+ ad-free 25% 35% between Gen Z adults and
Gen Z adults (9%) and millennials (12%).
Paramount+ with ads 27% 34% U.S. adults overall, explaining
the service’s recent efforts to
Disney+ with ads 26% 34% appeal to older audiences.
This is why Disney, whose eponymous streaming service currently skews
overwhelmingly young, has worked on diversifying its reach to adults Peacock Premium 26% 33%

without kids in ways like hosting R-rated content on Disney+. Video Apple TV+ 20% 33%
streamers stand a better shot at attracting older audiences by bulking up Discovery+ ad-free 21% 27%
on true crime content: 27% of Gen Xers cited true crime as one of their Starz 21% 27%
favorite TV genres, higher than the share of Gen Zers (19%) and millennials Showtime 23% 24%
(24%) that said the same in an October Morning Consult survey. Discovery+ with ads 22% 23%

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence. *Free tier with ads.

7
FAST services haven’t completely infiltrated the Gen Z crowd — yet
Share who said they used each FAST service at least once in the past month: As video streamers look for new ways to grow revenue
U.S. adults Gen Z adults Millennials Gen Xers Baby boomers without breaking the bank, free ad-supported streaming
Peacock free TV services have taken on new prominence. But FAST
services still need to make more progress with Gen Zers:
The Roku Channel While nearly all major SVODs were used once by at least
30% of Gen Z adults in December, that was only the case
Tubi for a handful of FAST services in that month.

Pluto TV FAST services generally rely more heavily on older

licensed content, rather than new original content, which
Freevee is likely why many don’t see Gen Zers as their biggest
cohort. This skew is different to that of SVODs like ad-free
Redbox Netflix and Disney+, which Gen Z adults were more likely
than any other age cohort to report using in December at
Sling Free least once, for example.

Plex This could change slightly as media giants invest more in

FAST. Warner Bros. Discovery may launch its own service
Xumo in 2023, though its unclear that the FAST market will
ever invest in original programming to the degree that
SVOD does.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

8
 Even with demand for live sports, traditional media companies will become choosier about
the rights packages they lock down
Shares who said whether a lack of live sports was a “minor” or “major” issue
It became clear in 2022 that live sports is the next hurdle
with the video streaming services they use
to overcome in the streaming wars. But major rights
Major issue Minor issue Not an issue
packages for leagues like the NFL and NBA are still locked
U.S. adults 15% 21% 64% up for years, which explains why 36% of adult streaming
users in late October said that a lack of live sports was a
problem they had with the services they use.
Gen Z adults 17% 23% 60%
GENERATION

Millennials 16% 26% 58% Media companies are looking to satisfy this demand,
Gen Xers 15% 20% 65% though they’ll do so in a way that jibes with the increased
focus on achieving profitability. This means increasingly
Baby boomers 12% 16% 72%
eyeing cheaper rights outside the NFL, NBA and MLB for
GENDER

Male 22% 27% 52% events like motorsports, tennis and golf, which are less
Female 9% 16% 75% dominant in the United States but still saw at least 2 in 5 of
those from households with $100k or more in annual
Less than $50K 14% 18% 69%
income describing themselves as “avid” or “casual” fans in
INCOME

$50K-$99.9K 17% 25% 58% December.

$100K or more 16% 28% 57%
As hefty sports rights package increases are on the
SUBSCRIPTIONS

1-2 15% 18% 67%

STREAMING

horizon, more marquee sports rights will likely start going

3-4 12% 21% 67%
VIDEO

toward cash-rich tech giants. After all, Google just secured

5+ 19% 25% 56% the rights to distribute Sunday afternoon NFL games for
seven years.
Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

9
Why the ‘streaming vs. theatrical debate’ will steadily lose steam
Streaming’s impact on moviegoing has always been a hot-button topic in Share of Gen Z adults who said they prefer to watch a just-released movie via theater
or streaming service, 2022
media circles, but the “streaming vs. theatrical” debate feels increasingly
dated as the months go by. We’ve previously explained how streaming service
usage and moviegoing isn’t a zero-sum scenario, while more execs have Strongly prefer
streaming service
acknowledged how a movie that plays in theaters will do better on streaming 27% 30% 34% 31% 32% 31% Somewhat prefer
than one that didn’t. 37%
streaming service

The surprisingly coexistent theater-streaming relationship helps explain why Don’t know
Gen Z adults regularly report a preference for watching recently released
23%
movies on streamers rather than in theaters. But this could just be a case of 27% 23% 23% Somewhat prefer
26% movie theater
young consumers taking convenience when they can get it. After all, during 22% 28%
H2 2022 in every month except September, that cohort was more likely than Strongly prefer
other generations to report going to the movies at least once a month. 18% movie theater
7% 12% 11% 18% 15%
Theaters must maintain their appeal to Gen Z not only to keep a big revenue 9%
stream but also to boost the chances that these young consumers will pass on 15%
19% 17% 16% 16%
their moviegoing interest to the next generation — Generation Alpha. 23% 17%

Meanwhile, on the awards front, every traditional studio besides Sony has a 19% 15% 15%
13% 9% 13% 11%
major streamer and is therefore interested in award wins for both theatrical
and original streaming films. A growing awareness of this, paired with more

t
ne

ly

r
r

er

r
be
s

be

be
Ju
examples of day-and-date films with strong box-office performances, will

gu

ob
Ju

em
m

em
Au

ct
te
steadily chip away at the notion that streamers and theaters are more

c
v
p

De
No
Se
combatants than allies.
Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

10
Younger, more avid streaming-service users still prefer binge releases
The weekly release model has increasingly gained relevance over the Shares who said whether they prefer weekly or binge releases for TV series
past couple of years as a tool to boost a series’ overall cultural impact. The
cadence also helps to alleviate some of the pressure on streamers to I prefer when the episodes of a TV I prefer when the episodes of a
constantly debut new content, given that consumers can’t complete series are released on a weekly basis TV series are released all at once
individual shows as quickly.
All adults 44% 56%

Still, binge releases won’t be going extinct anytime soon. A contingent of

Gen Z adults 33% 67%
consumers, particularly those that are younger and more interested in

G E NE RA T I ON
video streaming, prefer the opportunity to binge all the episodes of a Millennials 35% 65%
series at once. While many Gen Zers and millennials grew up with a lot of
their favorite series’ episodes being released all at once, the same can’t Gen Xers 43% 57%
be said for their older counterparts. This helps explain why younger
generations particularly prefer being able to binge new series. Baby boomers 57% 43%

Meanwhile, those with several streaming subscriptions are more likely 0 68% 32%
than those with fewer subscriptions to have a large watchlist, so it makes

S U BS C RI P T I ONS
S T RE A MI NG
sense the former group would want to be able to finish series as quickly 1-2 44% 56%

V I DE O
as possible.
3-4 38% 62%
With this in mind, media companies will likely always release at least some
series (likely the lower-budget fare) all at once as they increasingly 5+ 36% 64%
evaluate how to extend the shelf-life of the content they are distributing.

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

11
WHAT IT MEANS

In 2023, media companies must take greater advantage of the platforms available to them

The year ahead will see many of last year’s streaming trends
continue, but companies will need to recalibrate their portfolios to
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS
lean more heavily into increasingly sought-after assets such as live
sports and high-profile weekly release shows to differentiate.
The battle to license classic TV hits will heat up
With profitability of streaming operations becoming as great of a
As paid ad-supported services and FAST platforms become
focus among investors as it’s ever been, media companies must
bigger focuses, classic TV hits (think “Seinfeld”-caliber shows)
take greater advantage of the various platforms available to them that can generate high levels of viewing hours will increasingly
to maximize the reach and revenue generated from any given be sought out.
piece of intellectual property that hits streaming.

This means continuing to prioritize theatrical releases and Old streaming habits die hard
experimenting more with having content on paid streaming While more weekly releases are likely on the horizon for certain
services that will also air on linear TV networks and FAST services streaming services, a portion of consumers will always value the
— rather than forcing all the crown jewels to live exclusively on ability to watch new series all at once, so companies should never
paid subscription streaming services. completely turn their back on the binge model.

12
SECTION #2

Social Media
While everyone is chasing TikTok’s short-form
video lead, platforms are realizing that a higher
number of use cases isn’t always better

13
Facebook, Twitter saw biggest drops in trust over past two years
Change in net trust of major social media platforms between 12 months of 2020 and 2022 Social platforms must constantly work to strengthen
the trust consumers have in them: A loss in trust
Q1-Q4 ’22 Q1-Q4 ’20 was the reason 48% of consumers in September
YouTube said they stopped using a social media platform in
-2.4
the past year.
LinkedIn
No change
Efforts to boost trust among consumers have had
Instagram
-5 mixed results, with trust dipping the most for the
two social platforms used most heavily for news
Reddit
-0.3 consumption: Facebook and Twitter. With so much
Twitch news being consumed on these platforms, it stands
-1.9 YouTube stands far ahead of the pack in terms to reason that Facebook and Twitter would
Snapchat of net trust, likely in part because it’s much particularly struggle with issues of fake news and
-3.4 harder to message (and potentially harass) lose trust as a result.
Facebook other users on the platform than it is on most of
-6.4
Q1-Q4 ’20 Q1-Q4 ’22 the rival sites. Other factors, including hosting too much
TikTok objectionable content (posts featuring violence) and
+2.7
ads, have likely led to a loss of trust in several major
Twitter platforms. A September survey from Morning
-8.3
Consult found 33% of U.S. adult social media users
cited limits on objectionable content and ads as
-10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
”major” reasons they trust certain social platforms.
Source: Morning Consult Brand Intelligence

14
In the race to attract Gen Z, only a handful of social players are truly winning
Shares who said they used each social platform in at least once daily: Buzzy Gen Z-appealing social platforms like BeReal,
U.S. adults Gen Z adults Poparazzi and Fizz have sprouted up over the past
couple of years, placing greater urgency on the
established social players to strengthen their
YouTube
connection that young demo.
Instagram
Still, only a handful of players have meaningfully
TikTok
pulled this off and see over 50% of Gen Z adults
Snapchat using their apps daily.

Facebook
Morning Consult data shows TikTok as one of the
Twitter apps with the greatest difference between daily
usage among Gen Z adults and adults overall. A big
Pinterest Facebook is one of the rare major major social reason TikTok has succeeded is its proprietary and
platforms seeing more U.S. adults than Gen Zers report eerily accurate recommendation algorithm.
Reddit
usage. This isn’t the end of the world for the app, given
Twitch that Meta’s Instagram excels with this cohort, but it’s But it’s still worth it for competitors to try to seize
clear that Facebook’s initiatives to become more TikTok’s territory as the Bytedance-owned app will
LinkedIn dominant with the younger generation, such as funding likely face increased government scrutiny on its
Clubhouse original video and livestreaming, haven’t panned out. data privacy practices in 2023, potentially making
more users willing to use Instagram or YouTube as

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% their go-to short-form video platform.
Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

15
TikTok is holding its ground amid the copycat competition, but it isn’t completely unfazed
Despite heavy investment from Google and Meta into YouTube Shorts and Net favorability of each platform among Gen Z adults:
Instagram Reels, neither has beaten TikTok as the favored purveyor of
short-form video among Gen Zers.
60
But that doesn’t mean TikTok’s reign will last forever, as Meta and Google
both announced new monetization capabilities for Reels and Shorts in 50 TikTok
2022. This has likely led to more high-quality content from influencers and
an increase in time spent on these competitors. This explains why TikTok’s
40 Instagram Reels
net favorability rating dipped to roughly 40% from a 2022 high of roughly
50% in May. Moreover, mobile insights company Data.ai estimated that the
number of TikTok’s U.S. monthly users dropped by 3 million between 30
January and October 2022.

20 YouTube Shorts
To remain competitive, TikTok has recently experimented with expanding
beyond short-form video. In 2022, the app increased its max video length
from three to 10 minutes, and started testing TikTok Now, its BeReal-like 10
feature.
0
TikTok could further differentiate by marketing itself as an educational Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
platform, rather than just a place for humorous videos. The app is already ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22 ’22
being used a de facto Google for many young consumers, but there are
likely many older adults who are unaware that TikTok can be sometimes
more effective for information gathering than Google is. Source: Morning Consult Brand Intelligence. Net favorability refers to the share of respondents who said that they
had a favorable impression of each brand minus the share who said they had an unfavorable impression of each.

16
Despite the broader push to distribute news, several are still working to become widely used
resources
TikTok could likely further fend off copycats by forging more Share of U.S. adults who said they used the following platforms for news each month:
60%
partnerships with established news publishers, as it still lagged
Facebook, Instagram and YouTube in terms of usage for news in most
Facebook
recent months, Morning Consult data shows.
50%
For example, Morning Consult has recently pointed out that many
leading publishers should be taking TikTok more seriously than they Twitter
currently do — The New York Times proper doesn’t have a verified YouTube
Instagram
TikTok account, and Bloomberg has an account with zero videos. Doing 40% TikTok
so not only places publishers in front of certain younger consumers that
wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to their content, but it could also
generate a new revenue stream. In May 2022, TikTok announced its first
30% Snapchat
ad-revenue sharing program, which gives eligible creators a cut of the
revenue generated from top performing videos.
Reddit
Twitter and Facebook are by far the most popular platforms among U.S. 20%
journalists, per a 2022 Pew Research Center study. But other platforms LinkedIn
still have an opportunity to further court journalists after recent account
bans by Elon Musk caused many in the news profession to re-evaluate
their relationship with Twitter. 10%
Jun '22 Jul '22 Aug '22 Sep '22 Oct '22 Nov '22 Dec '22
Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

17
WHAT IT MEANS

Social apps should be careful not to lose their core DNA when diversifying

While building out use cases can help platforms regularly lock in
users for longer periods of time, social companies should be
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS
cautious of straying too far away from their core competencies.
Think about how Instagram faced significant backlash when it rolled
out a test that made its feed much more focused on vertical video Step up investment in short-form video distribution
(i.e., more like TikTok), but ultimately had to abandon that push. Companies shouldn’t miss the opportunity to better resonate with
younger users through products like Reels and Shorts. While social
Social platforms’ constantly changing bets mean that brands also platforms constantly reevaluate priorities, it’s clear the short-form
need to regularly reassess how they can use the major social video push is here to stay.
networks in new ways — perhaps TikTok for informative content, or
YouTube for short-form video distribution, for example.
Major social platforms will retain their core identities
Meanwhile, media companies should be wary of new funding While the major social platforms will always look to mimic the
initiatives dangled by certain social platforms. Keep in mind how features of the up-and-coming apps of the moment (BeReal was the
Snapchat in 2022 stopped funding media companies’ production of app in 2022), they risk user backlash — and a potential user exodus
originals for its Discover section, while Facebook re-examined its — for too heavily mimicking competitors.
commitment to news licensing deals that paid millions of dollars to
publishers.

18
SECTION #3

Video Games, Esports

and Metaverse
Entertainment companies have an opportunity to
more heavily target the gamer segment, but not all
fields within gaming have mainstream appeal

19
Those who are more interested in TV and film tend to be more avid gamers
There’s a natural opportunity for media companies to step up the number of Leaning more heavily on gaming IP could also help media companies appeal to
commissions they base on gaming IP — the most avid gamers tend to be consumers international audiences, which are becoming increasingly important as U.S. streaming
who are younger, go to the movies regularly and own many streaming subscriptions. growth stagnates. Successful video game adaptions from 2022 include Sony’s
Doing so could allow media companies to better monetize a segment that’s “Uncharted,” which grossed over $400 million in global box office revenue, and Netflix’s
clearly already more willing to engage with them than the average consumer. “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners,” which spent four weeks in Netflix’s top 10 most-viewed
non-English series.

Shares who said they played video games for the following amount of time on average per week in the past month:
<1 hour 1-2 hours 3-6 hours 7-12 hours 13-24 hours 24 hours+ Don't play video games
All U.S. adults 9% 11% 15% 11% 8% 8% 38%
G E NE RA T I ON

Gen Z adults 6% 14% 21% 17% 10% 12% 21%

Millennials 9% 14% 20% 17% 11% 11% 18%
Gen Xers 12% 11% 14% 10% 8% 6% 39%
Baby boomers 10% 9% 9% 5% 5% 4% 58%
T RI P S T O S U BS C RI P T I ONS
S T RE A MI NG

5+ 7% 12% 15% 20% 12% 14% 20%

V I DE O

3-4 9% 12% 21% 10% 8% 6% 34%

1-2 12% 13% 15% 9% 7% 5% 39%
0 9% 8% 9% 6% 6% 5% 56%

3+ 8% 11% 25% 20% 14% 12% 10%

MONT HL Y

MOV I E S

1-2 12% 15% 16% 15% 11% 7% 25%

0 9% 11% 12% 8% 6% 7% 47%

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

20
Most still aren’t regularly watching video game livestreams, but Gen Zers and heavy
gamers differ
Shares who said they watched live or on-demand video game playthroughs on each platform: Even though the percentage of Gen Z adults and
Twitch Facebook YouTube Other millennials that spend time gaming at all is comparable,
the former cohort is much more likely to view video
game playthroughs on platforms like Twitch. Only 31%
All U.S. adults of Gen Z adults said they didn’t watch replays or
livestreams of video game playthroughs in December,
while that figure was much higher for millennials (41%)
Gen Zers
and U.S. adults overall (66%).
G E NE RA T I ON

Millennials
That latter figure highlights how platforms like Twitch
need to work harder to diversify their user bases in
Gen Xers
order to push viewership of video game playthroughs
into more of a mainstream habit.
Baby boomers
HOU RS SP E NT

Offering more live sports broadcasts would allow game-

G A MI NG P E R

Up to 6 hours streaming platforms to get on the radar of nongamers

WE E K

and potentially turn some consumers into fans of the

7 hours or more new game streamers that they become exposed to.
Facebook has tamped down its sports streaming
ambitions over the years, which leaves the door open
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% for Twitch and YouTube to become bigger destinations
Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence for live sports viewing.

21
Esports hasn’t panned out to what it could have been
Years ago, esports was heralded as one of the next big media trends, but at this point, It’s no wonder that investment in the esports industry in 2022 is the lowest it’s been
it’s fair to say the industry hasn’t developed domestically as well as advocates had since 2016 (save for 2020), according to PitchBook. The reasons for esports’ failure to
hoped for. It has a smaller fandom in the United States than virtually all major traditional launch in the United States are myriad, but the monetization problem can’t be ignored
sports, despite significant investments from entities like venture capital firms and major — esports fans generally spend less on merchandise than traditional sports fans, and
sports leagues. many of the biggest esports competitions can be viewed for free.

Share of U.S. adults who said they were a fan of the following: Shares who said they watched an esports competition in the past month
30%
Avid fan Casual fan Not a fan
Sports Gamers
19% 40% 40%
NFL 28% 32% 40%
Gen Z adults
College football 19% 30% 51%
MLB 15% 32% 52% 20%
NBA 15% 27% 58% Millennials
College basketball 12% 27% 62%
NHL 10% 25% 65%
Motorsports 8% 26% 65% U.S. adults
10%
Combat sports 10% 23% 67%
Soccer 8% 21% 71% Gen Xers
Tennis 6% 22% 72%
Golf 7% 21% 72% Baby boomers
Horse racing 5% 21% 74%
0%
Esports 6% 14% 80% Jun '22 Jul '22 Aug '22 Sep '22 Oct '22 Nov '22 Dec '22

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

22
Virtual reality headsets are still too inaccessible to the average consumer

The use cases for virtual reality headsets have increased over the past few Although making more productivity tasks viable in VR will be key to expanding
years, notably with platforms like Meta’s Horizon Worlds, though VR is still far the technology’s appeal, compelling video games appear to be the best way to
from mainstream. Just 13% of U.S. adults said they owned a VR headset in keep the current VR user base more engaged. In November, 55% of adults with
December, with younger consumers being more likely to report ownership. VR headsets said they used VR to play a video game in the past month, while
that figure was just 18% for interacting with coworkers.

Share of respondents who said they own a VR headset

Yes
3%
13% 9%
23% 26%

No
87% 77% 74% 91% 98%

U.S. adults Gen Z adults Millennials Gen Xers Baby boomers

11% 12%
22% 24%
33%

88% 67%
89% 78% 76%

Income: Less Income: $50k- Income: More than Gamer Has heard about the
than $50k $99.9k $100k metaverse
Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

23
Media investment in the metaverse can still mostly be deemed as experimental
The metaverse remains a topic that most consumers don’t take Share of adults who said they had seen, read, or heard about the metaverse
seriously. Most adults reported hearing “not much” or “nothing
A lot Some Not much Nothing at all
at all” about the metaverse during H2 ’22, despite an abundant
of coverage on the topic. 100%

The low awareness in the metaverse sheds light on what we’ve

previously explained as the “metaverse paradox”: Companies 80%
won’t be compelled to invest in the metaverse until there’s
higher consumer familiarity with it, but the metaverse won’t be
more appealing to consumers until more media companies are 60%
first active in it.

Media companies should still experiment with immersive 40%

activations, since frequent moviegoers and heavy video
streaming service users are more likely to be interested in the
metaverse. But given the low general consumer interest in the
20%
metaverse, it makes more sense to partner with established
platforms like Roblox or Fortnite to accomplish this — like
Walmart and iHeartMedia have done — rather than invest in
0%
building metaverse environments from the ground up. Jun '22 Jul '22 Aug '22 Sep '22 Oct '22 Nov '22 Dec '22

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

24
WHAT IT MEANS

Media companies need to target gamers more heavily, but should be intentional about
where they invest
With those who are more interested in TV and film being bigger
gaming fans, brands have an opportunity to have more of their IP
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS
reach the platforms where gamers live. Companies should consider
allocating more budget to reach gamers on those platforms, but
investing greatly in areas like esports team partnerships and Use immersive environments to build out franchises
metaverse activations should be lower on the priority list.
Most consumers aren’t concerned with the metaverse, but using
Companies could still drive awareness to their IP on 3D immersive 3D immersive worlds is critical to building a TV show or movie into
a franchise, which is needed more than ever in the current media
platforms before big titles drop — for example, Netflix could create a
landscape.
new “Stranger Things” land on Roblox prior to the debut of its fifth
season. These types of investments can help further build out
Choose carefully in long-term gaming-related partnerships
marquee franchises, which are more needed than ever in order to
stand out in a streaming landscape with too many options. While it’s wise to strike partnerships with gaming platforms like
Roblox that have growing younger user bases, trying to reach the
eyeballs of gamers through esports teams has less clear value long
term.

25
SECTION #4

Audio Streaming
It’s still early days for the new ways to monetize digital
audio listeners

26
Digital audio listenership differs by political ideology
Music streaming and podcast listening are the most common digital audio habits, reinforces the notion that those on the tend to consume pop culture less often than
with younger and higher-income consumers more likely to engage in each, similar those on the left..
to the demographic profile of those who frequently stream video.
Just like video streaming services need to look more to conservatives to help fuel
As is also the case with video streaming, conservatives tend to engage with digital their next wave of domestic growth, digital audio platforms should further position
audio less frequently than liberals. The skew — except for in traditional radio — again themselves as partners to develop the audio counterparts of video content
targeting those types of consumers.

Share of U.S. adults who said they listened to or used the following in each month: Shares who said they did the following at least once in the past month:
80% LIBERALS CONSERVATIVES
AM/FM radio
70% Listen to AM/FM radio 72% 76%
Music streaming service
60%
Music streaming service 65% 47%
50%
Podcast
40% Listen to a podcast 53% 36%

30% Audiobook
Listen to an audiobook 39% 23%
20%
Social audio service
10% Use a live audio service 31% 19%

0%
Jun '22 Jul '22 Aug '22 Sep '22 Oct '22 Nov '22 Dec '22 Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

27
Spotify’s aggressive push to license high-profile podcasts has helped it become a leading
Gen Z podcast platform
13%
Shares of respondents who said each was their preferred podcast listening platform: Music streaming17%
services generally have a more
YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio difficult time than video streamers in differentiating
Pandora SiriusXM Other, please specify None of the above themselves from competitors, since the catalogs of
songs across most major music streaming services
are largely similar.
All U.S. adults
This is one reason that Spotify has pushed so
aggressively to acquire the exclusive rights to high-
profile podcasts like “The Joe Rogan Experience”
and Gen Z-appealing shows like “Call Her Daddy”
Gen Z adults and “Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain.”

Millennials The strategy helps explain why Gen Zers prefer

Spotify as a podcast platform over YouTube.
However, YouTube still wins out on the music
Gen Xers
streaming front: 29% of U.S. adults said their
preferred music streaming platform was YouTube
Baby boomers Music in December, while that figure was 22% for
Spotify and 13% for Apple Music.

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

28
Live audio has cooled since Clubhouse’s heyday, but don’t count out the format completely
Social audio — where consumers broadcast their audio-only conversations Shares of respondents who said they used a live audio service like
to the public in real time — seemed poised to become the next big social Clubhouse or Twitter Spaces …
media trend when the category’s trailblazer, Clubhouse, rose to Silicon
At least A few times or A few times or Never
Valley fame around April 2020. once a day once per week once per month

Following Clubhouse’s lead, tech giants including Twitter, Facebook, U.S. adults 5% 8% 9% 77%
Spotify and Amazon all launched social audio features between late 2020
Gen Z adults 9% 14% 8% 69%
and March of 2022, though it’s clear that scaling these products has been
no easy feat as consumers started returning to outdoor activities —just 5% Millennials 11% 14% 16% 60%
of U.S. adults said they used a social audio service daily in December, a
Gen Xers 4% 7% 9% 79%
figure that was broadly consistent across nearly all age demos, income
groups and political ideologies. Baby boomers 5% 91%

Income: <$50k 5% 7% 9% 79%

While this doesn’t rule out social audio as a category from getting bigger
in the future, it does indicate that media companies shouldn’t invest too Income: $50K-$99.9k 5% 7% 10% 78%
heavily in cultivating large followings on platforms like Twitter Spaces or Income: $100k+ 10% 12% 10% 68%
Spotify Live, which cut back on the number of live audio shows it
Podcast listener 12% 17% 19% 52%
produces in December.
1-2 subscriptions* 6% 10% 82%

3-4 subscriptions 5% 10% 11% 74%

5+ subscriptions 15% 16% 13% 56%

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence. “Subscriptions” refers to number of video streaming subscriptions held.

29
Paying for podcasts remains a habit relegated to the most dedicated fans
More media organizations such as NBC and Sony have begun experimenting with a relatively low lift. For example, offering early access to flagship podcasts is likely
generating podcast subscription revenue over the past year, but most podcast listeners enough for at least some digital audio producers to start building up a subscriber base.
are content to access whatever they can find for free. Companies with podcasts that appeal to podcast listeners who are younger, liberal and
higher earners are best positioned to start generating revenue from podcast
subscriptions, as they are more likely than their counterparts to start paying for
However, companies that don’t already do so should still experiment with charging for
podcasts.
their podcast content, which could generate a supplementary revenue stream through

Shares of podcast listeners who said they paid or donated for exclusive benefits to a podcast
in the past month:

37% 37% 38%

35%
31% 29%
27%
All adult 23% 23% 24%
podcast 23%
listeners
18% 7% 19% 17%
13%

s ls s s l k + r r
ult nia Xer er e ra ra
te ti v
e
50 .9k 00k 1-2 5+ 3-
4
me tto
ad n n om
Li b d e rva <$ 99 1 a b e
nZ lle Ge bo k-$
$ G
rts
e Mi b y Mo n se 0 o
G
Ba Co $5 VIDEO STREAMING Sp
GENERATIONS IDEOLOGY INCOME SUBSCRIPTIONS HOBBY

Source: Morning Consult Research Intelligence

30
WHAT IT MEANS

Sweeping changes in the digital audio space will be few and far between

Because digital audio generally doesn’t encompass platforms that

differentiate on exclusive content — unlike digital video — significant new
trends in the space occur relatively infrequently. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS

But music streaming services and podcasts remain safe bets for brands to
invest as part of long-term efforts to reach consumers. The former group Consider how to better integrate with music streamers and
will benefit from the songs that are used increasingly in TikTok, Reels and podcasts
Shorts, while Hollywood will continue to invest in development of podcasts
Things like Netflix’s collab with Spotify for a “Stranger Things” playlist
— ensuring both will be growing their audiences for years to come.
or Apple’s increased investment in original podcasts present
opportunities for brands to capitalize more on digital audio.
Meanwhile, social audio services and subscription podcasts represent
relatively new ways to reach and monetize consumers via digital audio, but Experiment with — but don’t prioritize — social audio and
they’re still far from taking hold among most U.S. consumers. But while podcast subscriptions
subscription podcasts and live audio are far from mainstream, it’s worth it to Unless high-profile celebrities and tech platforms start giving either
experiment with each, given the potential supplementary revenue and the category significantly greater attention, current interest isn’t likely to
youth of the typical consumer that gravitates toward them. move in the near term.

31
About the Report
& Methodology
Morning Consult’s State of Media & Entertainment report examines the attitudes,
behaviors and expectations of consumers most relevant to industry executives.

Methodology
The research fueling this project was drawn from surveys fielded regularly between
June and December 2022, among representative samples of roughly 2,210 U.S.
adults, with unweighted margins of error of up to +/-2 percentage points.

Research Intelligence
Morning Consult helps you understand your brand, competitors and market in a way
traditional research companies can’t. We survey tens of thousands of people across
the globe on more than 4,000 brands and products every day. Get actionable insights
into what consumers think, see and say about your brand and products.

LEARN MORE

32
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Tran is the media and entertainment analyst at global intelligence

company Morning Consult. He heads Morning Consult’s efforts to
deliver real-time insights for leaders in the media sector.

Prior to joining Morning Consult, Kevin was a media analyst for Variety Intelligence Platform,
Variety’s premium subscription service. Before Variety, Kevin was a digital media research
associate at Business Insider Intelligence, which has since rebranded to Insider Intelligence. Kevin
graduated from the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and currently
KEVIN TRAN resides in Los Angeles, Calif.
Media & Entertainment Analyst

We would like to thank the following contributors for their work on this report: Sara Wickersham and
Jodie Custodio for report design and Sam Elbouez for data visualization.

LEARN MORE FOLLOW US MEDIA & SPEAKING INQUIRIES

MorningConsult.com @MorningConsult press@morningconsult.com

33
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