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,…