Connecting with Franchise Fans: What We Can Learn from “The Last of Us”

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On Sunday April 13, 2025, HBO’s Last of Us will return for a second season as Ellie and Joel continue their quest for survival in a post-apocalyptic America. Unlike some of Warner Bros. Discovery’s other recent hits like House of the Dragon (a spinoff of Game of Thrones), the Last of Us is based on a video game originally launched in 2013. When advertisers want to connect with fans of a particular franchise, it is important for advertisers to remember that there are multiple ways to connect with fans, and fans engage in different ways. Some fans read the books/comics, others watch the movie/tv shows, while some prefer to play associated video games. And of course, many fans enjoy a mix of these different content types.

Using LG Ad Solutions’ proprietary first-party data powered by our Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, we wanted to explore how many fans of “The Last of US” watched the show versus played the game.

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ACR Viewership-Based Strategies

Using “The Last of Us” as an example, here are some strategies on how advertisers can use ACR targeting to connect with fans of video game-based franchises.

  • Video Game Only: These are the households that played the game, but did not watch the show. Streaming platforms can specifically target these households with messages encouraging them to tune-in to the show. Gaming advertisers can point them towards sequels or remastered versions of the game.
  • Show Only: Advertisers across categories can use CTV Native Home Screen ads to connect with audiences as soon as they turn on their TV, especially on premier day (and weekly when new episodes drop)! Gaming brands can target the households that are also gamers but just haven’t played the source material yet.
  • Both Show and Video: These households represent devoted fans who might be more inclined to buy franchise merchandise or buy the remastered game versions (if they haven’t already)! Additionally, entertainment advertisers can target these households to promote new video games or shows with similar themes (e.g. story-driven, action-adventure, and survival horror).

Is your advertising strategy prepared for video game-based television content? Consider checking out our previous analysis on another video game-based TV show, Revisiting the Fallout Franchise. Or contact us for more information!