A 2025 study shows that Christians are watching more Christian content, and Hollywood is taking notice.
The study, conducted by National Research Group, surveyed 1,000 American Christians about Christian content. It found that Gen Z and Millenials, especially, show a growing interest in Christian media.
For more stories at your doorstep, subscribe to The Baptist Paper.
SIGN UP for our weekly Highlights emails.
National Research Group is a global insights and strategy firm that researches entertainment and technology. Many of its clients are production studios and streamers. NRG recognized a large amount of media deals for Christian content, such as “House of David” produced by The Wonder Project and Amazon, among others.
The report found that 63% of Gen Z respondents and 67% of Millennial respondents watch faith-based movies or TV at least once a month. Meanwhile, 53% of Gen X and 46% of Baby Boomers watch faith-based movies or TV in that same time frame.
The study found some overlap in younger and older preferences for faith-based content, and some interesting differences.
Key finding
One of the most resounding findings relates to intended audience. Of all Christian respondents, 56% said they prefer content designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, 21% prefer content solely aimed at a Christian audience, and 23% have no preference between the two options.
Of all Christian respondents, 46% prefer “stories that showcase progressive interpretations of faith designed to fit in with the modern world,” and 33% prefer “stories that reinforce traditional religious values,” with 21% having no preference between those two options.
Jasmina Saleh is director of Thought Leadership at NRG and led the research for this report. In an interview with MinistryWatch, she said the global instability of the last few years — from things like COVID-19, regional wars, and AI — created conditions for people to “actively look for hope.”
“We now have this younger, digitally and content literate audience who are driving the appetite for this type of content,” Saleh said, “in search of, not just hope, but also wanting to feel vindicated about their experience in the world.”
For Gen Z, 39% said their consumption of Christian media had increased in the year prior to the survey. For Millenials, that number was 46%. The study says this generational shift in viewership presents faith-based media with new opportunities.
The study found that young audiences are interested in moral frameworks, familiar genres, universal themes and stories that engage multiple facets of complex characters. Almost half of Christian respondents (48%) are looking for stories about ordinary people facing everyday situations, whereas only 29% prefer stories with supernatural events.
“What they want to see is themselves in this content. They want reflections of what it means to be a modern Christian in the modern world today,” Saleh said.
They still want biblical and Christian values to be present. For respondents under 35, 50% said they want content to have a clear, moral lesson, and only 30% said they wanted things left open to interpretation.
Young Christians are interested in certain topics in particular. Of Christians under 35, 46% say they’re interested in faith-based content addressing mental health and focusing “on the role that spirituality can play in helping to tackle issues such as depression and anxiety,” the study said.
Connection to comedy
Respondents also exhibited an interest in genres they already enjoy, like comedy. Young Christians in particular — 62% of them — say they’d like to see more faith-based comedies, and 46% of older Christians say the same.
“That didn’t necessarily surprise me because comedy is so central to Gen Z’s cultural language and shorthand and how they make sense of this world,” Saleh said. “It’s also an immediate antidote to stereotypes surrounding Christian media.”
Saleh said she thinks a lot of non-believers expect religious movies to be preachy or dogmatic, but comedy caters to a broader audience and resists those stereotypes.
“Laughter can go a long way towards offering some respite from these serious times,” the study said. “That may be why so many Christian consumers say they’re keen to see more faith-based content within the comedy genre.”
Of respondents 35 and older, 65% want to see more faith-based content in the family genre, and 58% want more in the documentary genre.
Young respondents indicated they prefer content when it is on already-familiar platforms and formats, including podcasts.
“One in five young Christians listen to podcasts about religion and spirituality on a regular basis,” Saleh said, “and 37% say they would listen to more podcasts about Christianity in the future.”
More on Gen Z
Among Gen Z respondents, 43% regularly consume faith-based content on social media. Saleh said Gen Z is the most enthusiastic about embracing new formats like short form video, live streams, podcasts, wellness apps and video games.
Saleh said the increased interest in faith-based content has led to a shift in Hollywood, including a recognition that the religious audience is large and underserved.
“While religious affiliation has declined overall, younger generations are redefining what faith means in their lives,” the study said. “Gen Z and Millennial Christians, in particular, are leading this change, expressing a strong appetite for content that reflects their values, addresses their modern struggles and engages with their preferred platforms and formats.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Isaac Wood and originally published by Ministry Watch. Used with permission.
