The Audience of the Romance – with Stephen Follows

The Audience of the Romance – with Stephen Follows

22nd May 2025

Who’s the Audience of Romance? How has it evolved over the past few years? Where is it going next? 🌹🎬

Romance, Romance. Wherefore art thou, Romance? In this episode, Francesco D’Orazio talks with film analyst and industry researcher Stephen Follows to examine how the script has flipped on romantic storytelling in entertainment. From the big-screen romances that dominated the 90s to today's streaming-friendly, binge-worthy love stories, Fran and Stephen delve into why romance as a genre is thriving in books and TV but struggling on the silver screen. Discover how shifts in audience values around gender and sexuality, technological advancements, and changing viewing habits are redefining romantic storytelling. Are romantic movies truly gone with the wind, or are they simply evolving into something new entirely?

The Audiences Podcast is the audience discovery show. We talk to guests who build audiences for a living. And as we discuss what it takes to build an audience, we explore new emerging audiences in fashion, tech, media and many other industries. Subscribe to never miss an episode. Subscribe to never miss an episode.

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