Americans across political lines, ages say faith belongs on screen: survey

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Wednesday, February 11, 2026

A new nationwide survey of television and film viewers finds that a vast majority of Americans are open to religious themes in entertainment, challenging the long-held belief in Hollywood that faith is a niche or risky subject for mainstream audiences.

The 2026 Faith & Entertainment Index, conducted by market research firm HarrisX in partnership with the Faith & Media Initiative, tested more than 100 scenes from television series and films with more than 12,000 respondents in the United States. 

Results released this month show that 92% of entertainment consumers say they are open to seeing faith represented on screen, and 77% say that faith can have broad appeal in modern entertainment. 

“I knew it would be a big number, but that really is almost like 100 percent,” said Brooke Zaugg, executive director of the Faith & Media Initiative.

“Religion can feel scary to talk about — like politics — so it creates the illusion that it’s a small group,” Zaugg added. “That makes it easy for filmmakers to oversimplify it or not give it much thought, instead of recognizing how valuable faith storytelling can be when it’s done well.”

The study also suggests that the appeal of faith in entertainment cuts across religious and political lines. Support for faith themes were consistent across age demographics: 79% were Gen Z, 83% were millennials, 78% were Gen X and 72% were baby boomers. Politically, 82% were Republicans, 75% were Democrats and 73% were independents. 

Researchers used a novel three-pillar system to evaluate each scene’s impact, measuring entertainment value, authenticity of faith portrayal, and engagement potential. Participants included viewers of diverse ages, religious affiliations and political leanings.

Before watching, 53% of non-religious viewers said shows exploring faith and spirituality were more appealing, and after watching the scenes, that increased to 58%. Similarly, 53% initially found faith-based shows more relatable, which rose to 61% after viewing.

Survey respondents were shown scenes drawn from multiple genres and series, including examples from both secular and faith-oriented storytelling. The scenes that scored highest tended to depict characters authentically exploring their beliefs and placing them in familiar and emotionally grounded contexts.

One of the top-ranking clips was from the HBO series “The Pitt,” which resonated with viewers across different faith backgrounds for its depiction of Jewish identity. Other highly rated scenes came from “Young Sheldon,” “Nobody Wants This” and the film “Hacksaw Ridge.”

The research was conducted in two waves between September and November 2025, with participants who watch television or movies at least weekly. Religious affiliation data were weighted to reflect the U.S. population, with oversamples of some groups to ensure statistical reliability.

The study corroborates an earlier report from Movieguide, which found that titles featuring strong Christian, biblical, moral or redemptive themes dominated both the Top 10 and Top 25 highest-grossing films of 2024, outperforming movies driven by graphic violence, explicit sexuality or anti-biblical worldviews.

Movieguide reported that 80% of the Top 10 domestic box office films in 2024 contained strong or very strong faith and moral content. Only one of those titles was rated R, while half were rated PG and 40% were PG-13. Seventy percent earned acceptable viewership ratings from the organization, and all received three or four stars for overall quality.

Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, CEO of Wonder Project, previously told The Christian Post that she’s seeing a “generational hunger” for stories families can watch together without disengaging from real-life struggles.

“I think about shows like ‘Family Ties,’ ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘Gilmore Girls,’” Merryman Hoogstraten said. “Stories full of hope that also recognize challenge and transformation.”