Social media platforms are becoming the primary gateway for Gen Z to discover new TV content, according to Channel 4’s latest findings. The broadcaster has concluded that for younger audiences, a show’s success increasingly depends on its ability to generate attention on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube – raising new implications for how entertainment is marketed and consumed in the digital age. Other recent studies have found that users on social media interact with TV content regularly on platforms like Snapchat, all of which are prime targets to be marketed towards.
“What we’re seeing is a pattern now where it takes a show to become a social hit for awareness to reach a young audience that the show is out there,” said Ian Katz, Channel 4’s chief content officer. The broadcaster cited Virgin Island, a reality series that gained traction only after going viral on social media, as a recent example.
For the social media industry, this trend represents a shift in role – from content companion to cultural gatekeeper. Platforms that were once considered secondary promotional channels are now where first impressions are made and fandoms are formed. On Channel 4’s accounts alone, TikTok views rose 81% last year, YouTube views increased 26%, and Instagram traffic climbed 25%. Full-episode YouTube views alone surpassed 110 million in the UK.
Channel 4, like many other broadcasters, is now planning to start developing video content specifically for Spotify, reflecting how broadcasters are expanding distribution to new digital venues. This also points to growing competition among platforms to serve as discovery engines, which itself falls in line with how e-commerce has seen a slow but significant rise over the past five to ten years – with more and more users discovering, exploring and consuming/purchasing products entirely online.
