When we picture Americans settling in to watch their favorite shows, we might imagine very different audiences for drama, reality TV, or sci-fi. But when it comes to climate change, frequent viewers across genres have more in common than we might expect.
By “frequent viewers,” we mean people who regularly choose and return to a particular genre, not simply occasional watchers. Entertainment is already part of their routines, and the genres, characters, and worlds they follow offer opportunities to make climate change feel visible, familiar, and connected to everyday life.
Frequent TV viewers are concerned
These audiences aren’t tuning out climate change in their lives. In fact, they are among the audiences most primed to see it on screen. Across nearly every genre, frequent viewers are more likely than non-viewers to be Alarmed or Concerned about climate change, often by 15–25 percentage points. And this pattern extends far beyond science documentaries, from comedy, horror, sci-fi/fantasy, family programming, reality TV, and more.
Climate Concern by TV Genre and Viewing Frequency
Percentage of frequent viewers and non-viewers who fall into YPCCC’s Alarmed or Concerned segments.
| Genre | Frequent viewers* | Non-viewers | Increase |
| Documentary (Science, Nature) | 66.2% | 40.5% | +25.7 pts |
| Comedy | 62.9% | 42.7% | +20.2 pts |
| Horror | 67.3% | 47.5% | +19.8 pts |
| SciFi/Fantasy | 64.6% | 46.3% | +18.3 pts |
| Family Friendly | 66.9% | 49.5% | +17.4 pts |
| Drama | 64.1% | 47.4% | +16.7 pts |
| Talk Shows | 66.3% | 51.2% | +15.1 pts |
| Reality TV | 65.8% | 51.8% | +14.0 pts |
| Action/Adventure | 62.2% | 50.2% | +12.0 pts |
| Documentary (Social, Political, Historical) | 62.2% | 51.7% | +10.5 pts |
| Mystery/Thriller | 62.8% | 57.3% | +5.5 pts |
*Frequent viewers are individuals who say they often or very often watch a certain genre.
Frequent viewers of many genres are also more likely to recognize climate change as a present and future reality, while non-viewers are more likely to believe its impacts will never be felt.
Perceived Timing of Climate Change Impacts by TV Genre
Percentage who believe climate change’s effects are already being felt or will be felt in the future.
| Genre | Viewers** | Non-viewers | Increase |
| Doc Science | 82.8% | 62.2% | +20.6 pts |
| Action/Adventure | 83.2% | 63.8% | +19.4 pts |
| Reality TV | 86.0% | 71.9% | +14.1 pts |
| SciFi/Fantasy | 87.5% | 73.9% | +13.6 pts |
| Horror | 81.8% | 70.7% | +11.1 pts |
| Family Friendly | 87.8% | 78.5% | +9.3 pts |
| Talk Shows | 81.1% | 75.8% | +5.4 pts |
| Drama | 79.8% | 75.6% | +4.1 pts |
| Mystery/Thriller | 80.8% | 76.8% | +4.0 pts |
| Doc Social | 83.4% | 80.9% | +2.5 pts |
| Comedy | 77.4% | 76.5% | +0.9 pts |
**Viewers are individuals who say they sometimes, often, or very often watch a certain genre.
Most strikingly, these audiences want entertainment to reflect those realities. Across genres, 63–79% of frequent viewers support seeing more scenes that depict the consequences of climate change, with support reliably higher than among non-viewers in nearly every genre.
Support for More Climate Depictions by TV Genre
Percentage who want more scenes depicting the consequences of climate change.
| Genre | Frequent viewers* | Non-viewers | Increase |
| Talk Shows | 79.0% | 48.8% | +30.2 pts |
| Doc Science | 72.8% | 39.8% | +33 pts |
| Horror | 71.5% | 54.3% | +17.2 pts |
| Reality TV | 69.1% | 51.7% | +17.4 pts |
| Family Friendly | 68.2% | 48.3% | +19.9 pts |
| Action Adventure | 68.1% | 44.9% | +23.2 pts |
| Doc Social | 66.8% | 48.4% | +18.4 pts |
| Mystery Thriller | 66.0% | 49.3% | +16.7 pts |
| SciFi Fantasy | 65.9% | 50.4% | +15.5 pts |
| Comedy | 65.3% | 42.8% | +22.5 pts |
| Drama | 63.3% | 50.9% | +12.4 pts |
*Frequent viewers are individuals who say they often or very often watch a certain genre.
Together, the findings point to a broad, cross-genre audience for climate storytelling, not a niche limited to traditionally “climate-oriented” content. These findings do not mean that every show needs a climate storyline. Rather, they challenge the assumption that climate is relevant only to a narrow audience or to traditionally environmental content. For creatives who choose to explore these themes, the data suggests that viewers across genres are unlikely to see climate realities as inherently out of place, and may be more receptive than expected when those realities emerge naturally from the story, characters, and world.
These insights come from a nationally representative survey of 15,000 Americans conducted by Rare’s Entertainment Lab, connecting television viewership and media habits with climate attitudes. In the months ahead, we’ll share deeper dives into individual genres and formats – so stay tuned!