Why Westerns Are the Newest Land of Opportunity on TV | Charts

Western series like Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” (and its growing stable of spin-offs and prequels) are popping up all over different television networks and over-the-top (OTT) services — and the increased demand for the genre is even extending to decades-old classics like “Bonanza.”

There has been a noticeable uptick in demand for Western dramas on linear television (cable and broadcast) as well as OTT platforms between September 2021 and June 2022, according to Parrot Analytics‘ data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement.

The demand for Westerns jumped about 50 points within that time frame. The increase in demand for the genre can be directly compared to stronger investment in the genre by mainstream networks as they try to capture some of this audience.

Westerns represent a white space for many of these companies. Examining the supply versus demand for genres in the United States in first-quarter 2022, the Western genre is one of the strongest in-demand genres with very little supply.

Companies like Paramount Global are investing in creatives who can bring these kinds of stories to their subscribers and viewers, and do it at a high quality.

For example, Paramount’s “Yellowstone” is one of the most watched shows on television, and its demand continues to increase with each passing season. It’s one of the 10 most in-demand shows on Peacock (where it streams via a licensing agreement with Paramount). Additionally, the “Yellowstone” prequel spin-off, “1883,” is also a hit for Paramount+.

“Yellowstone” boasts a demand score of nearly 22 times the average demand of all other series in the United States year to date. That puts it in the exceptional category, which only 2.7% of shows reach. And “1883” comes in at nearly 16 times the average demand of all other series in the U.S.

What’s interesting about the uptick in Westerns is the demand for older shows in the genre has also increased. The classic NBC series “Bonanza,” which aired from 1959-1973; “Little House on the Prairie,” which aired from 1974-1983, also on NBC; and HBO’s “Deadwood,” which ended its three-season run in 2006, are all within the top 10 Western shows in the U.S. They also all land within the outstanding or good category for demand. While Westerns aren’t as in-demand as superhero shows or sci-fi, this is still impressive.

It’s clear that demand for Westerns isn’t going to decline anytime soon. But much like other genres, where there’s less demand because the supply is overpowering and therefore creating a saturated space, it’ll be dependent on continued quality programming. Could the next big Netflix or Disney+ hit include Westerns? There’s a pretty good chance.

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