Broadway is trying to go viral

Broadway is leaning into the old adage: “The show must go on… your Instagram feed.” In recent months, shows’ marketing teams have increasingly turned to social media influencers in an effort to increase ticket sales and attract a younger audience.

• The Great Gatsby, which opened on Broadway in April, recently hosted an invite-only influencer event with dozens of social media creators at an upscale – and very Instagrammable – Manhattan lounge, in celebration of the show’s cast album release.
• Nearly every attendee posted about the event, and the show reported up to a 21% increase in website traffic over the following two weeks (though to be fair, it was also running other marketing campaigns).

This isn’t the first time Broadway has used influencers to boost ticket sales. Jaja’s African Hair Braiding hosted 20 influencers during an early performance last September, providing gift bags and holding receptions. A similar initiative from Mary Jane, a drama about a single mother of a sick son, involved hosting a group of online Mom-fluencers. Both shows saw a ~45% increase in ticket sales in the week following their events.

🎭 Zoom out: Broadway was hit harder than other live entertainment spaces by the pandemic, as theaters were forced to close for 18 months due to New York City’s social distancing mandates. The industry’s struggles have persisted to this day, largely due to soaring ticket prices, with gross revenue for the 2023/24 season coming in 17% lower than pre-pandemic times.