March 21, 2023

Let’s Get Animated: Reaching the Adult Animation Audience

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by 

Disney Advertising

Disney’s portfolio of Adult Animation is unparalleled, with favorites including Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Archer and more. These legacy shows draw a passionate, loyal audience, creating an opportunity for brands to reach consumers that are very engaged.

With this in mind, Disney Advertising explored Adult Animation consumption across Freeform, FXX and Hulu. Here’s a look at what we learned:

Adult Animation Fans are Young, Multicultural and Influential

Across the Disney portfolio, there are a total of 31M Adult Animation viewers who are influential across a broad range of categories, including movies, music, fitness, cooking and beauty. Many are on the cusp of major life moments like buying a house or getting engaged. But just like the universe of these characters, the audience is far more expansive than what first comes to mind.

60%

are 35+

1/3

are Multicultural

1/3

have a HHI $100k+

While Adult Animation represents a diverse and multi-generational audience, 35% of Adult Animation viewers are men between the ages of 18-49, with a median age of 29 years old. This young male audience is made up of consumers who are influential in categories like video games, beer and cars.

Hulu's Most Popular Genre

Adult Animation was the most popular genre on Hulu this year with 1-in-5 viewers watching monthly, and around 14% of Hulu viewers watching daily. Furthermore, Adult Animation shows are consistently amongst the Top 10 TV shows on Hulu for both reach and engagement. In June of 2022 alone, Hulu viewers consumed 35 billion minutes of Adult Animation content.

Here’s a look at the year-over-year growth in minutes for Adult Animation on Hulu (based on average hours):

Hulu Adult Animation viewers are streamers first, with 60% of the audience being cord cutters. In fact, this audience is +18% more likely to be cord cutters than the general population. Also, 34% of Adult Animation viewers on Hulu are Multicultural and they’re evenly represented across gender (51% Male / 49% Female).

It’s Binge-worthy

We can’t talk about Adult Animation without also mentioning binge viewing. On Hulu, we see that ¼ of all adult animation viewing sessions are binged. More specifically, when Adult Animation viewers sit down to watch, 62% are watching 3+ episodes – now that’s a lot of self-deprecating humor in one sitting!

FANS ARE TUNING INTO FREEFORM AND FXX FOR ADULT ANIMATION

Just in 2022 alone, FXX has the highest year-over-year increase in ratings of any top 25 cable network during prime among adults 18-49, increasing by +29%. For the first time ever, FXX has overtaken Adult Swim during prime among the adults 18-49 audience.

On top of this growth, the FXX Adult Animation viewer is influential across a range of categories, including Sports (Index 202), Business (Index 129) and Grocery Shopping (Index 127) to name a few. They’re also more likely to be Hispanic (+11%) and between the ages of 25-34 (Index 318).

Similarly, on Freeform we see that Adult Animation viewers are +22% more likely to be multicultural and +35% more likely to be Hispanic. Interestingly, they also skew a bit younger than Adult Animation viewers on FXX with 23% being adults ages 18-34 (Index 321). They’re influential in Home Electronics (Index 145), Movies, (Index 144), Education (Index 144), Beauty (Index 133), and Auto (Index 121).

Needless to say, Disney is reaching Adult Animation viewers across a range of demographics and platforms.

Case Study: How An Adult Animation Integration Boosted a Brand’s Success

In one specific case study for a beverage CPG brand, we found positive results across the full funnel due to a brand integration within Adult Animation content.

Brand Effectiveness Metrics

(across KPIs)

  • 93% Brand Awareness
  • 76% Brand Opinion
  • 50% Purchase Consideration
  • 47% Brand Recall
  • 24% Interact on Social Media

After exposure to this integration, viewers were more likely to say that the brand was: “For me,” “Enjoyable and easy” and “A brand I would take to a party.” Talk about a compliment!

Advertiser Takeaways

Adult Animation is coveted among 31 million viewers across Hulu, Freeform, and FXX, making this an appealing genre for advertisers and audiences alike. With a wide range of shows that have been capturing viewers’ attention for years, this genre offers a wealth of possibilities for brands looking to tap into the zeitgeist and connect with young, affluent, and multicultural audiences.

Don’t be like Homer and say “D’oh” for missing this opportunity – reach out to your Disney Advertising Representative to learn more about how Adult Animation can be part of your marketing strategy.

Source: comScore Video matrix Key Measures. Monthly avg. for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, & 2022 through April.

Linear Source: Nielsen (Npower), 12/27/21-3/27/22, Linear based on FF/FXX Adult Animation Detailed Type Code and Simpsons/Family Guy; Digital based on SCR Hulu, FX SVOD, FXX VOD, FX on Hulu, Adult Animation Detail Type Code; Medians/Marketbreaks based on P2+, Multicultural defined as Black or Hispanic or Asian, TV Avg based on PUT Viewing Source, 12/27/21-3/27/22, Index vs. TV Avg; data is L7.

Linear Source: Nielsen (Npower, MRI 21Oct_22Feb), Index vs. Permanent Resident A18+, data is L7

Source: Hulu Internal Portal Jan 1-June 15,2022 and Gfk MRI March Cord Evolution. Base: Total Audience and comScore Video Key Measures   May 2021 through April 2022​

Source: Nielsen (NPower), 1/1/22-7/3/22 & 1/1/221-7/4/21, Cable Prime data is C7.

Source: comScore Video Metrix Key Measures, April 2022, Base: Total Audience and Gfk MRI 2022 March Cord Evolution. Base: Programming Typically Watched – Adult Animation.

Linear Source: Nielsen (Npower, MRI 21Oct_22Feb), Index vs. Permanent Resident A18+, data is L7.