John Campbell is a senior vp at Walt Disney Co. who oversees streaming advert gross sales options. He additionally coaches his second-grade daughter’s basketball crew, and just lately requested her teammates to call their favourite TV present.
“Eleven out of 13 women mentioned ‘Hannah Montana,’ ” Campbell mentioned in a current interview, citing the favored Disney sequence starring Miley Cyrus that produced its final episode in 2011, earlier than any of his gamers have been born.
Campbell was happy they chose a present from the Disney library, however wasn’t all that stunned primarily based on the promoting demand he’s seeing for the corporate’s classic exhibits.
A current research from Nationwide Analysis Group discovered that 60% of all TV consumed is library content material. Amongst Gen Z, 40% say they watch older exhibits as a result of they discover them comforting and nostalgic. Disney’s personal analysis finds that 25% of the packages children name their favorites have been made earlier than 2010.
Whereas newer cutting-edge sequence usually win crucial kudos and accolades, Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers are binge-watching packages that grew to become hits on the printed and cable networks within the pre-streaming period. They’re additionally devouring vacation motion pictures and specials, even on conventional TV.
“We do see, particularly across the vacation time, that persons are on the lookout for that consolation, that sense of ease,” Campbell mentioned.
As extra TV advert spending strikes from conventional networks to streaming, Campbell mentioned Disney is capitalizing on the retro development due to its large library of sequence. The corporate has seen the Gen Z audiences devour hits of yesteryear similar to “How I Met Your Mom,” “Trendy Household” and “Golden Ladies.”
Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment in Disney’s “Hannah Montana.”
(Joel Warren/2006 Disney Channel)
“Scrubs” and “Malcolm within the Center” are such robust performers on Hulu and Disney+, the corporate has ordered reboots that advertisers are wanting to be part of, based on Campbell. Disney has even labored with advertisers to make throwback commercials to run in basic movies on its streaming platforms and TV networks.
“The youthful viewers is drawn to the perceived simplicity of the outdated occasions and humor,” Kavita Vazirani, govt vp of analysis, insights and analytics, ABC Information Group & Disney Leisure Networks. “It’s programming that simply makes them really feel good, and it’s one thing that they will watch with their associates, their households.”
Older exhibits have lengthy had a spot amongst younger viewers. Earlier generations grew up watching reruns of “The Brady Bunch” and “I Love Lucy” after college, when their selections on broadcast TV have been scant.
However the present viewer has an infinite plethora of viewing selections by way of streaming and cable. One govt at one other media firm not approved to remark publicly cited analysis that mentioned teenagers and younger adults are gravitating to the extra standard sitcoms and dramas from the early 2000s, believing they have been made explicitly for his or her age group.
Through the period, the WB Community — later merged into the CW — was turning out younger grownup dramas similar to “The Gilmore Ladies” and “Dawson’s Creek,” whereas the Disney Channel was on the peak of its recognition. “Associates,” the idealized rendering of city life for younger adults and lengthy a favourite on streaming, was the scores chief on the time.
The urge for food for such packages confirmed up in the newest “Teenagers and Screens” research by the Heart for Students & Storytellers @ UCLA discovered that among the many 10- to 24 year-olds, 32.7% mentioned they wish to see “relatable tales which can be like my private life.” The earlier 12 months, the highest reply was fantasy, which ranked second in 2025.
However another excuse younger viewers are digging into the vaults is quantity.
The UCLA survey confirmed that the favourite present among the many measured age group is the Netflix sequence “Stranger Issues.” The sequence has solely 42 episodes over 5 small-batch seasons.
When a younger viewer finds an older profitable sequence that ran on a community for years when 22 episodes per season was commonplace, they will binge for a whole lot of hours.
“There are a number of seasons of accessible episodes which you could watch, in usually any random order you wish to,” mentioned Nii Mantse Addy, chief advertising officer on the streaming service Philo, which additionally has seen a pointy rise in viewing of library packages.
“There’s not as a lot choice fatigue,” Addy mentioned. “The exhibits present one thing which you could return to and simply activate and know sort of the way it’s going to make you are feeling.”
Executives additionally say that binge-watching outdated exhibits gives a respite from the angst younger individuals expertise whereas scrolling by way of social media, which escalated by way of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
However social media have additionally been a device to assist customers uncover new packages. Followers of classic sequence submit TikTok movies reacting to episodes that first aired years in the past. There are additionally fan communities on-line and “re-watch” podcasts which can be driving individuals to hunt out packages.
“Social media has been fairly a catalyst for basically introducing these outdated exhibits to a complete new viewers, whether or not it’s by way of memes, viral clips or no matter it could be,” Vazirani mentioned. “It’s like the trendy day water cooler, basically.”
