Breaking Boundaries: Over Half of All Chosen Viewers Are Not Christians, Data Shows

Roughly half of the viewers of the Bible-based hit series The Chosen are not Christians, according to new data that demonstrates the reach and impact of a show that had humble beginnings but is now available on major platforms such as Netflix and Prime.

The series launched in 2017 but grew into viral status during the 2020 pandemic and is currently in Season 4 and in theaters. Episodes 7-8 will debut at the box office Thursday. Eventually, all of Season 4 will be available on the free Chosen app.Katherine Warnock, the vice president of original content with The Chosen, shared details of the new survey with ChristianHeadlines. 

We recently had some data come through that showed about half [of viewers] were either practicing Christians or cultural Christians. And then the other half were either curious about Christianity or just no Christian faith. And we were deeply surprised about that, Warnock told ChristianHeadlines. 

The faith data wasnt the only surprising part of the survey, she said. 

We were also surprised about the level of Gen Z and younger that were consuming our show — because our core audience is definitely millennial and older, she said. But just to see not only the balance between female and males watching our show, which is wonderful — because the church is definitely not that balanced at times — and then to see the younger generation but also the non-Christian faith audience come to the table has been a joy.

Creator Dallas Jenkins and his writing team, she said, have a goal of reaching every demographic. 

When Dallas and the writers say, Hey, we want the world to be introduced to the authentic Jesus — they mean it, Warnock said. 

The Jesus of the Bible, she noted, attracted all types of people and worldviews. Warnock and her team recently heard from a fan of the series who is an agnostic and said he often weeps when watching. 

Meanwhile, Warnock confirmed that Season 5 of The Chosen will spotlight Jesus entrance into Jerusalem for Holy Week. Season 6 and Season 7 will include the crucifixion and resurrection, respectively, she said.

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Image credit: The Chosen / Angel Studios

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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Nick Shakoour, who portrays Zebedee, said that the series has had a significant impact on his life. His character is the father of James and John.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group.

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