As TV executives descend on Los Angeles for the LA Screenings, the champagne is on ice and the stage is set for another round of high-stakes dealmaking. But behind the glossy trailers and choreographed sizzle reels, a quieter narrative is taking hold, one that suggests streamers may be backing the wrong horses.
The latest global demand data exposes a widening disconnect between what platforms are commissioning and what audiences actually want. The usual suspects Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount and NBCUniversal – still dominate US demand share thanks to deep catalogues and iconic IP. But this isn’t just a game of scale. It’s a game of taste. And the streamers might be misjudging the mood.
Let’s talk genre. A quick glance at the first quarter of 2025’s supply-and-demand chart paints a stark picture. In the top left-hand side (where demand vastly outstrips supply) you’ll find the genres of science fiction, horror, animation and fantasy, all soaring above the average title in terms of audience appetite. But look to the right and it’s a glut of reality and documentary content. The message? We’ve got too many reality formats and not enough robots, monsters or intergalactic quests.
And then there’s the cautionary tale in the bottom-left quadrant: children’s programming. Once assumed to be a perennial driver of audience engagement, it now finds itself in the low demand, low supply camp. While the genre isn’t generating the same heat as others, the lack of fresh, compelling family-focused content suggests an underlying vulnerability. This isn’t just about what’s hot now, it’s about what’s being neglected. For streamers chasing long-term brand loyalty and household relevance, ignoring the next generation of viewers might be the most short-sighted move of all.
Yet the dominant commissioning strategy still leans conservative. Crime, romance and comedy are among the most oversupplied genres, often relying on safe formats or tired tropes. Even when demand softens, the pipelines stay full. It’s commissioning inertia. Audiences, meanwhile, are already somewhere else, looking for genre-bending thrillers, smart speculative fiction or just something that doesn’t feel like homework.
That gap isn’t just genre specific, it’s also geographical. With US studios pulling back on volume, this year’s LA Screenings are seeing a noticeable power shift. The buzz is increasingly around international players. Korea is showcasing a full slate of dramas backed by local content agency KOCCA, with leading Korean content producers and distributors participating in a dedicated showcase.
Latin American heavyweight Globo, meanwhile, is unveiling a diverse catalogue rich in telenovelas and thrillers, including the international launch of the fourth season of its action series Anti-Kidnapping Unit. British and European suppliers are also leaning into globally exportable formats and prestige drama, with many among the more than 50 independent exhibitors confirmed to present.
These regions aren’t just filling a scheduling void, they’re responding to clear audience signals. In Latin America, demand for premium true crime is booming yet underserved. Globally, K-drama fandom remains a force. This year’s most interesting deals might not come from the studios but from the indie suites at the Roosevelt Hotel, where international suppliers are tapping directly into what audiences actually want.
That said, a few glimmers of hope stand out for the US studios. The Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again is a clear breakout, notching nearly 39x the average US series demand. Other American titles – Paradise (Hulu), The Pitt (Max) and American Primeval (Netflix) – are also gaining traction. All lean into darker, frontier-style storytelling, hinting at a tentative shift into underexploited genre spaces.
But these are the outliers. Most new US series launching this year continue to cluster around the middle of the demand spectrum, suggesting commissioners are still playing it safe rather than chasing emerging audience trends. The result? Plenty of well-made content, but little
that feels essential.
As buyers file into LA for the screenings this week, they’ll be met with polished decks and familiar IP. But the smart money will go to those who look beyond the surface and follow the data into the gaps. The quadrant doesn’t lie. If you want to make a mark in 2025, don’t just fill the slate – find the white space. Because the next big hit isn’t in the comfort zone, it’s in the blind spot.
