Executive Round Up: Why True Crime Continues to Win Audiences

We asked executives in our industry why true crime content seems to so consistently resonate with viewers. Here’s what they had to say.

Rod Aissa
EVP, Entertainment Unscripted Content
NBCUniversal Television and Streaming

“True Crime resonates on Oxygen because the stakes are the highest of any content—it’s life or death. In an uncertain world, people want to know that justice will prevail. All too often, the stories hit home because they are relatable. It’s real people caught in extraordinary circumstances.”

Steve Cheskin
SVP, Programming
REELZ

“True crime fits squarely in the REELZ brand of real lives and real stories and the genre has always performed well for us. Viewers want to learn more about what really happened, and, in many of the shows, how law enforcement solved the case and caught the criminals involved. Stories of the victims bring real humanity and empathy to what just seems like lurid headlines when covered by the news.”

Jason Sarlanis
President, Crime & Investigative Content, Linear and Streaming
Discovery Inc.

“With so much fear and uncertainty in people’s day-to-day lives, true crime programming offers viewers a cathartic outlet to see real-life examples of good triumphing over evil. At our best, ID’s content can even challenge viewers to do their part in helping right injustice in the world… something no other genre offers.”