Netflix Is the No. 1 Streamer to Watch for the Most In-Demand Video Game Adaptations | Charts

Netflix is clearly making investments in video game adaptations, and it’s paying off. Five of the top 10 most in-demand series based on gaming IP are Netflix originals and exclusive shows, according to Parrot Analytics‘ data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement.

Additionally, “Pokémon” and “Talking Tom and Friends” are licensed content on Netflix, which makes a total seven of the top 10 video game adaptations available on Netflix’s catalog.

Netflix’s most recent 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 United States in September. That’s a very high number for a foreign language show in the U.S. Only three other shows based on video game IP were more in-demand this month to date.

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Since video games became hugely popular in the middle of the 1980s, a number of video game adaptations have been trying to ride that wave. Video games often offer a captivating storyline, charismatic characters that are already well-known and beloved by their audiences and an engaging atmosphere that may be very successful when skillfully adapted to TV. More than that, popular video games usually have an engaged fan base that’s willing to consume any content related to their favorite game.

The top in-demand video game adaptation last month is Netflix’s hit show “The Witcher,” with 29.22 times the average demand. “The Witcher” franchise is based on a book series that inspired a video game series, which in turn inspired the TV series and is one of the most popular IPs owned by Netflix. The show is the fifth most in-demand Netflix original in September. A prequel miniseries, “The Witcher: Blood Origin,” is scheduled to be released in December 2022.

Netflix’s “Arcane,” a show set in the “League of Legends” game fictional universe, is the third most in-demand video game adaptation last month. The demand for this show is powered by the huge popularity of the game worldwide, which is considered one of the world’s largest e-sports.

10 most in-demand series based on video game IP, U.S., Sept. 1-26, 2022 (Parrot Analytics)
10 most in-demand series based on video game IP, U.S., Sept. 1-26, 2022 (Parrot Analytics)

There’s a relevant demand for legacy video game franchises. Some of the most successful shows are adaptations of game series that began in the 1980s or 1990s, like “Pokémon,” “Sonic Boom,” and “Castlevania.” The “Pokémon” TV series, the most in-demand of these, was released in 1997 and has been very popular around the world since then, helping the Pokemon video game series become hugely popular outside Japan. “Sonic Boom” and “Castlevania,” were inspired by video game franchises that were first released in 1991 and 1986, respectively. These franchises are capable of renewing their fan base through their more recent releases while also keeping fans that want to watch series based on the video games that they played when they were younger.

All but two of the 10 most in-demand shows based on video games are animated series. (The only live-action series are “The Witcher” and “Halo.”) The demand for the animation genre has been growing at higher rates than the overall growth of demand for series in the U.S. market, especially after April 2021.

Demand for animated TV shows, U.S., Jan. 2021-Aug. 2022 (Parrot Analytics)
Demand for animated TV shows, U.S., Jan. 2021-Aug. 2022 (Parrot Analytics)

Between January 2021 and August 2022, the demand for animated content grew by almost 50%, while the total demand for series in the U.S. grew by about 20%. Other than the demand for video game adaptations, the growth of demand for animation is affected largely by the demand for Japanese anime like “Attack on Titan” and “My Hero Academy” and for legacy animated sitcoms like “South Park,” “Rick and Morty” and “The Simpsons.”

Christofer Hamilton is a senior insights analyst and Daniel Quinaud is a senior data analyst at Parrot Analytics, a WrapPRO partner. For more from Parrot Analytics, visit the Data and Analysis Hub.

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