Game of Thrones or Sesame Street? Scarce Family Programming on Streaming TV Leaves Few Options

LOS ANGELES (October 3, 2023) – A new Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) study found that most of the original content on streaming platforms is rated for mature audiences, vastly overshadowing TV-G and TV-PG-rated programming.

The report, “Families Need Not Subscribe: An Analysis of the Scarcity of Family Content on Streaming Platforms,” found that across the major streaming services, there are 541 MA-rated original series; but only 87 TV- PG-rated, and even fewer, 60 TV-G-rated. There’s at least 268% more adult-only entertainment on streaming platforms than there is content that’s suitable for families.

“Families who want to watch TV together are being left out by streaming platforms that heavily favor TV-MA original programming that unfailingly includes graphic sex, violence, profanity, or a combination of the three. By primarily offering programming that’s exclusively for adults, the streaming industry – already facing profitability challenges – is effectively alienating a reliable audience,” said Melissa Henson, vice president, Parents Television and Media Council.

“Parents frequently ask us what kinds of programming is safe for their families to watch, and our study shows that there is a scarcity on streaming platforms. Their choices shouldn’t be solely between Sex Education and My Little Pony, or Game of Thrones and Sesame Street, but that’s effectively what families face in today’s streaming world.

“But it doesn’t have to be this way, nor should it. Surveys indicate families want to watch TV together, yet less than 20% report watching with children under the age of 18. The culprit? Legacy media has failed to offer suitable and abundant family programming. But reversing this trend would help streamers to tap into a broader market, build brand loyalty, and align with societal values while ensuring a sustainable and profitable future. We know this can be done. We encourage the entertainment industry that as it shifts into production following the strike, that programming for families is top of mind,” Henson said.

Methodology:

The PTC set out to evaluate which streaming services offer the best opportunities for family viewing. The PTC analyzed the most popular SVOD services (Apple TV+, Hulu, Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock and Prime Video) to quantify the availability of family-appropriate original content (programs rated TV-G or TV-PG).

Additional Findings:

• Prime Video is the worst for family programming. Less than 3% of original content is rated TV- G or TV-PG (Amazon has an additional “All” age rating, which was applied to one program. Combined, there were only six Prime Video originals rated “All,” TV-G, or TV-PG).
• AppleTV+ is the best for family programming and offers the largest number of TV-G-rated original programs. Twenty-six out of 139 programs were rated for general audiences, or 19%. Only 6% were rated PG. Half (50%) of all original content on AppleTV+ is rated TV-MA.
• Peacock comes in just behind AppleTV+ for offering the highest percentage of family-suitable content. 20% of original content on Peacock is rated PG and 8% is rated TV-G. Thirty-seven percent of original series on Peacock are rated TV-MA.
• On Hulu, 69% of original programs were rated TV-MA. Only 6% were rated TV-PG and only 1 was rated TV-G, meaning that for every 1 family-suitable program on Hulu, there are more than ten that are for adult audiences only.
• On MAX, 62% of original programs are rated TV-MA. Only 14% are rated TV-PG, and 1% are rated TV-G. Seven out of 20 of the PG-rated original programs on MAX were reality competitions.
• 62% of Netflix originals are rated TV-MA, 6% are TV-PG, and less than 1% are rated TV-G, meaning again that adult-only programs outnumber family-suitable programs 10:1.
• On Paramount+, 53% of original series are rated TV-MA; 9% are rated TV-PG; and 1% are rated TV-G.

The full study can be found here.