How the Heartland Has Become the Envy of Hollywood

Heartland audiences have become an increasingly key demographic in Hollywood, according to a recent study from National Research Group in collaboration with The Wrap. 

The most recent example is the premiere of Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” spinoff “Marshals,” which debuted with 9.52 million viewers, making it the most-watched scripted series debut without a football lead-in since 2018, according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day and big data panel ratings.

The flyover states once snubbed now have been the source of revenue for megaproducers like Sheridan and faith-based content hub Angel Studios. The NRG study found that conservative, rural and middle-American viewers have consistently reported feeling underrepresented in the movies and TV shows produced by major studios, but in 2025 the tides started to change. 

“Studios began reassessing their relationship with audiences who don’t live in Los Angeles, New York, or other cosmopolitan cultural hubs. And they increased their investment into stories that speak more directly to audiences who have previously regarded mainstream entertainment with a fair degree of skepticism,” the study read.

“The result: a small but noticeable uptick in the percentage of conservative viewers who feel that their values and beliefs are well-represented on screen.”

NRG defined “heartland” audiences as a diverse range of small towns and mid-sized cities, industrial hubs and farming regions, university towns, immigrant enclaves, suburban corridors, and tribal nations united by their shared set of values. 

Paramount has been a leader in this space, specifically with its partnership with Sheridan. As of November, the “Yellowstone” creator’s shows generated $800 million for Paramount+. However, Sheridan will be taking his talents to NBCUniversal after signing an over $1 billion film and television deal with the entertainment giant.

Each of his shows – including “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Tulsa King,” “Yellowstone,” “Lioness,” “1923” and “1888” – has brought in more than $140 million for Paramount+ worldwide. “Yellowstone,” the series that launched the “Sheridan-verse,” earned nearly $130 million for Paramount+ globally, despite the fact that its US streaming rights belong to Peacock.

But Paramount is not the only studio embracing the heartland. Amazon’s Prime Video has built a roster of what NRG calls “dad TV” shows, including “Reacher,” “Jack Ryan” and “Bosch,” among others. These series embrace conservative, rural ideals and family values. 

These attempts to appeal to middle America led to increases in representation. The NRG biannual study found that 43% of U.S. moviegoers surveyed believed movies did a good job reflecting their values and beliefs in August 2025. This figure was up from 35% in February 2023. 

The study also found that some production companies have leaned into faith-based content to appeal to these audiences. Angel Studios, the company behind “The Chosen” and “Sound of Freedom,” went public in September 2025, following the success of its crowd-funded hit “The Chosen.” Prime Video hopped on the trend in October launching its faith-based streaming channel Wonder Project, featuring more than 125 licensed titles, headlined by the platform-exclusive “House of David.”

“NRG’s own research on faith-based media has found that Millennial and Gen Z Christians are actually more likely to seek out content with religious themes than older generations,” the study read. “Aside from watching shows like The Chosen, they’re seeking out faith-first podcasts and finding community with fellow believers on apps like TikTok and YouTube.”

As the United States becomes increasingly polarized, the NRG study found that even scripted content that are not explicitly political in nature divides across party lines. Franchises like “Black Panther,” “Spider-Verse” and “Scott Pilgrim” resonate more strongly with Democrats, while Republicans gravitate toward action movies like “Rambo” and “Top Gun” and historical epics like “Gladiator,” according to data from NRG’s Franchise IQ research program. 

But the study also noted that viewers across the political spectrum want to see similar themes on screen – topics like friendship and loyalty, science and space exploration, and heroism and sacrifice.  

“Increasingly, it seems as if audiences are feeling burnt out by the constant fever pitch of contemporary politics,” the study stated. “What they’re looking for are stories that offer relief from the constant culture war—stories that remind them of what they have in common, not what sets them apart.”

The study specifically notes that this creates an opportunity for the entertainment industry to bring people together.

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