Following its deep dive into the potential impact of AI on the industry, Luminate Intelligence has put together a new animation-focused report — this time exploring the challenges and trends behind the rapid decline in series orders across broadcast, cable and streaming after the COVID-era buying boom.
The report and supporting figures illustrate that, unlike when its Work From Home production flexibility was needed to power U.S. TV through the pandemic, the post-peak market is hitting animation as well as live action. Total animated series orders across platforms have dropped from 225 in 2021 to just 71 this year. This is an expansion of the longer-scale decline in cable orders, which have been dropping since 2019, from 85 to just 18 in 2025.
Streaming services had the biggest increase in animated series orders at their height in 2021, with 150 shows picked up (dominated by Netflix with 73). The sector has also had the most severe shrinkage, dropping to 50 orders across all Luminate’s charted streamers (Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video and Apple TV+). Crunchyroll and other anime outlets, whose 1,000-plus titles are primarily produced in Japan, were not tracked.
Key findings of the report include:
- Animated kids’ series are hit hardest by shifting viewership and audience preferences, moving from linear TV to SVOD to digital platforms like YouTube and even games platforms like Roblox and Fortnite.
- Kids’ series have decreased year on year on cable since 2019 (from 62 to 11).
- Producers have shifted focus to test-running children’s IP on YouTube before investing in full series production or creating content for other digital outlets.
- Adult animation holds steadier, though declining on cable. Netflix, Prime Video and HBO Max have all put more focus on adult-targeted toons.
- Long-running adult animated comedies have top priority for many platforms, as evidenced by perennial re-orders for the FOX Animation Domination stalwarts The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad! and Bob’s Burgers.
- Established toons are also appealing to streamers, as with Paramount’s recent fiver-year, $1.5 billion to bring South Park exclusively to Paramount+ and re-up the popular spoof-shocker.
- Challenges of distribution and audience dispersal across multiple viewing options are compounded by the looming effects of generative AI workflows, despite practical production, legal, ethical and artistic issues.
- Anime continues to grow in popularity with U.S. audiences, and has inspired domestically produced series with its aesthetics and more adult themes, such as the Netflix award-winning hits Blue Eye Samurai and Arcane as well as the short-lived but widely acclaimed Scavengers Reign on HBO Max.
Learn more at luminatedata.com.
