As protests against systemic police brutality and racial discrimination sweep across the United States and around the world, Parrot Analytics has found skyrocketing audience demand for Netflix’s Dear White People and When They See Us.
US demand for Dear White People grew 329% week over week, while When They See Us was up 147% compared to the previous week.*
“During a week of pain and protest, these series are finding a resurgence of demand,” said Ashley Alleyne-Morris, Parrot Analytics Partner Insights Director. “Whether it’s a satirical look at dealing with discrimination at majority white spaces (universities) or a true story about the miscarriage of justice faced by the Central Park Five, new audiences appear to be turning to these stories as a form of education and understanding of the Black experience in America.”
When They See Us debuted on May 31, 2019, and Dear White People released its most recent season in August of 2019, clearly suggesting the recent news events have helped spark new interest and audiences for this content.
US Demand for Dear White People and When They See Us (May 20-June 2, 2020):
Dear White People is a satirical look at the lives of a group of black students at a majority white fictional Ivy League university in the aftermath of a party where white students wear blackface. For the week of May 27 - June 2 it was 5.6 times more in demand than the average TV show in the US.
When They See Us is a miniseries about the notorious case of the Central Park Five, a group of black and hispanic teenagers who were falsely accused and convicted of the assault and rape of a white woman in 1989. Their convictions weren’t vacated until 2002. During the week of May 27 - June 2, it was 20.5 times more in-demand than the average TV show in the US.
* = Dates tested were May 27 - June 2, 2020 vs. May 20 - 26, 2020
