After a challenging 2020 across all industries, 2021 brings new opportunities and challenges in entertainment and licensing.  Using E-Score Character and Music, we highlight some of the key trends coming this year and offer the best tools to help shape your marketing strategies.

Top TV Characters

With over 5,000 characters in our database, E-Score Character uncovers what you need in determining America’s favorite characters and which of them consumers want to see more of. Whether it’s a potential spinoff series or untapped licensing opportunities, here are some of the top TV characters with strong consumer affinity and spin-off potential.

• Although we haven’t seen a new season of Stranger Things since 2019, Eleven tops our list with the highest Appeal (Like a Lot), Would Like to See More, and Very Interested in a TV Show scores among TV characters.
• Game of Thrones has already started to expand with announced spin-offs starring new characters, but they’ve also built a vault of beloved characters like Arya Stark and Jon Snow, with strong fandom & interest. Along with The Walking Dead, the two powerhouse franchises make up 9 of the top 20 names on our list.
• NBC’s Heroes was at the forefront of the superhero genre explosion earning a fan following and critical acclaim across four seasons.  With demand for superhero content still high, a Heroes reboot or spin-off may make sense for the new Peacock streaming service.  Three characters with high affinity that fans might love to see again are Hiro Nakamura, Noah Bennet, and Peter Petrelli.

Top Movie Characters

Despite the pandemic affecting moviegoers from visiting movie theatres, the film industry continues to stay strong with help from streaming platforms like Disney+ and HBO Max offering their latest releases and a vast catalog of films to subscribers. E-Score Character helps discover opportunities for both licensing and TV spin-offs among top movie characters.

• Disney+ is in an advantageous position with a wealth of spin-off opportunities to explore from both the Marvel and Star Wars universe.  Characters from Black Panther and Rogue One show strong consumer affinity and spin-off potential.
• Early 2000’s film characters like Hitch, from the 2005 film starring Will Smith, are promising candidates likely to hit the nostalgia factor. While talks of a possible TV series heated up in 2014 but never happened, the character’s strong appeal & interest may still pull in audiences.  

Artists/Bands to Feature in a TV Series

E-Score Music allows you to assess the appetite for an artists’ music, performances, merchandise, and entertainment. In 2021, the streaming wars have created a gold rush for content and music artists are benefiting from opportunities like crossovers into film and TV to grow their personal brand. Using E-Score Music, we explored the artists that generated strong interest among consumers wanting to see them in a TV series.

• Saweetie tops the Very Interested in a TV Show list with a score of 39. The female rapper has already begun to expand her brand partnering with the beauty brand, Sinful Colors. A potential reality TV show could prove successful as fans certainly want to see more of her.
• Nipsey Hussle continues to be one of this generation’s most influential rappers despite his death in 2019. With the rising popularity of biographical series on streaming platforms, Nipsey Hussle would be an ideal candidate for a series paying homage to the rapper’s life work.
• Chloe x Halle have above-average scores in Very Interested in a TV show, Cool, and Unique. Our Consumer Comments reveal them as “Charismatic and lovable” making them top candidates to be featured on television.

E-Score Character and Music offer you a turnkey solution to help understand which characters extend best into verticals such as TV shows, toys, books, apparel, and more. For any questions or to try any of our products, contact us today.