TV adaptations of video games are proving to be rocket fuel for player numbers. Research from Ampere Analysis reveals that screen spin-offs drive average player growth of almost 140 per cent – far higher than uplift from game-based activations alone.

Prime Video’s Fallout series that launched in April 2024 saw the franchise’s monthly active users (MAUs) soar nearly 500 per cent, while HBO’s The Last of Us garnered more than 4 million new players across its two seasons.

Key findings: TV shows supercharge engagement

• TV adaptations deliver the most substantial boost. The average uplift in players according to Ampere’s Games Analytics title activity data is 203 per cent, compared to just 48 per cent for movie adaptations.
• Fallout’s screen debut delivered record growth for the franchise. The series lifted MAUs by 490 per cent, with 80 per cent of the 14 million activated players playing for the first time. By contrast, Fallout 76’s DLC updates in June and December 2023 increased MAUs by just 17 per cent on average.
• The Last of Us effect. Two HBO seasons, which propelled the show to the top of Ampere’s title popularity charts, increased franchise engagement by an average of 150 per cent. In comparison, the remastered release of The Last of Us Part II on PS5 and the addition of The Last of Us Part I to the PlayStation Plus (PS+) catalogue increased monthly players by 70 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively.
• Shows with a modest popularity still see an uplift. Netflix’s Anime adaptation of the game series Devil May Cry peaked as only the 58th most popular TV Show in April 2025, but still delivered a 358 per cent increase in players versus the previous month.
• Even perennially popular games grow with media adaptations. Minecraft already accounted for between 1-2 per cent of monthly total game play time across Xbox, PlayStation and Steam in the year to March 2025, yet MAUs still increased 30 per cent with the release of A Minecraft Movie in April 2025. Over half (54 per cent) were reactivated lapsed players.
• Ongoing game activations support retention: Sony kept The Last of Us franchise active through a strategy of remasters and wider availability, helping retain 20 per cent of players 180 days after the game’s peak engagement.

Ricardo Parsons, Analyst at Ampere Analysis, commented: “Media adaptations are superchargers for the player bases of gaming franchises. They attract new audiences at scale, from first-time players diving into Fallout’s wasteland to lapsed gamers returning to Minecraft. And unlike DLC or remasters, hit adaptations showcase these stories to a wider audience, extending their reach. With adaptations of Call of Duty, Life is Strange and Dark Deception all announced recently, Ampere expects this trend to continue — creating win-wins for publishers seeking new players and studios hungry for ready-made fanbases.”

Other posts by :

1. Bank has mixed messages for AST SpaceMobile
2. EchoStar clears key regulatory hurdles for Starlink deal
3. Starlinks falling to Earth every day
4. 650 Starlink D2C craft in orbit
5. Bank upgrades SES to ‘Buy’
6. Eutelsat shareholders reach agreement at AGM
7. Ghana makes MultiChoice fee decision
8. SES announces €0.25c dividend
9. Russia “blinding and destroying” German satellites

Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Content, Games, Production, Research

Tags: Ampere Analysis, Fallout, Minecraft, Prime Video, The Last of Us