Recent weeks have seen much talk of deception, betrayal and murder here in the AJ office. Thanks to both our own “AJ Traitors” game and the celebrity version of the TV show.
But it’s not just us who have been hooked. Traitors has become a national phenomenon. The Celebrity Traitors was the most watched show of 2025. More than 11 million viewers tuning in to watch the final. The recent season 4 finale continued the momentum, attracting an impressive 9.6 million viewers.
However, massive viewing figures only tell us part of the story. Traitors is notable, not just for its ability to draw in the numbers but also the fact it’s a hit amongst a younger audience. An important audience for advertisers that has deserted linear TV in droves in recent years.
Can we entice Gen Z back to linear TV?
Gen Z might have turned away from live TV but Traitors became appointment viewing. Katy Fox, Executive Producer at the show’s production company says:
“The idea of the whole family stopping what they’re doing and sitting round the telly to share in a hugely positive, joyous show is exactly what you hope for as producers.”
Up and down the country, production companies are studying the Traitors success to see what lessons can be taken from the show. If someone can crack the formula, this is very good news indeed for advertisers. Recent years have seen brands struggle to reach a younger audience via traditional media. Enticing them to return to linear TV is something of an advertising holy grail.
How does linear TV look for the next generation?
The Traitors success has not come easily or accidentally. It’s become almost inescapable, and deliberately so. Alongside the show itself was an official podcast, fan created memes and social media content that all fed into the hype and increased the show’s reach.
Traitors may be a linear TV show at its core but it evolved into a cross-platform, shared experience. The whole offering taps into everything that Gen Z understand and value in their entertainment.
Obviously a multi-media approach that successfully marries linear TV with the digital world is easier in theory than practice but Traitors gives producers a goal. If we are to successfully engage the younger generation we need to step into their world and give them content that feeds their appetite for digital content, in whatever format that takes.
If you’ve like to know more about reaching your perfect audience through TV advertising get in touch or read more here.