Globally, consumers' attention is split across more entertainment touchpoints than ever before. In competing against multiple media formats for consumers’ share of mind, gaming is at a disadvantage due to its 'lean forward' nature, especially compared to social media’s 'lean back', more frictionless experience. To counter this, game publishers have increasingly leveraged transmedia (where IP is utilised across different media types) to expand game IP’s audiences and increase game title engagement. According to Ampere Analysis’ Commissioning data, for example, from Q3 2022 to Q2 2025, 127 TV or movie titles based on games IP were commissioned. 

Publishers such as Sony, Microsoft, Take-Two, and Sega have all leveraged transmedia to drive a new audience to related game titles. Ampere's analysis of sales and user data from the Last of Us, Fallout, Borderlands, and The Devil May Cry franchises indicates that transmedia marketing led to increased games IP awareness. Moreover, transmedia also converted new audiences into engaged franchise fans: On average new user acquisition reached a 59% share of franchise MAUs (across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation) during transmedia content’s release month, helping to lift revenues during that month by an average of over 400%. 

While transmedia can reach a wider audience and convert new audiences to engaged game franchise fans, the most successful transmedia franchises were able to amplify and maintain the resulting user engagement. A variety of factors were key to this long-term success, including game IP characteristics, the quality of the transmedia content, the choice of strategic partners, the use of out-of-game campaigns, and ensuring the right timing and consistency. All of these are key elements of a successful franchise strategy, 

Ampere clients can access the full report, How transmedia content can boost games franchises, here.