Fandom Helps People Build Relationships Through Shared Passions

Men's Dating

FANDOM Helps People Build Relationships Through a Shared Passion for Pop Culture

Amber Brooks

Written by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted as a dating expert by The Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, Bustle, Salon, Well+Good, and AskMen.

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Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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The Short Version: Many romantic relationships emerge from a shared passion, including a favorite movie, video game, or TV show. Those relationship connections can be even stronger because loyal fans always have plenty to talk about. That’s the idea behind FANDOM, a platform filled with articles, videos, and wikis of the most popular entertainment content from around the world. When people join the FANDOM community, they can connect with like-minded fans who enjoy similar content.

Did you know that members of the Kyuzo species wore tsu-seed linen tunics in “The Mandalorian?” Or that the New Republic’s Starfighter Corps boasted Typhoon Squadron, a group of specialist X-wing pilots who braved the remnants of the Galactic Empire?

If you haven’t seen the show, that may not make much sense to you. If you have, you can connect with like-minded Mandalorian enthusiasts in the Star Wars community, called Wookieepedia, on FANDOM to learn, discuss, and bond.

The FANDOM logo

FANDOM helps pop culture enthusiasts connect through communities centered on their favorite topics.

FANDOM is a global entertainment platform that serves as a gathering place for anyone who loves television shows, movies, and video games — whether they be the most popular entertainment or a niche community. Users can discuss everything they love — or don’t — with other passionate fans, a dynamic that’s launched many friendships and long-term relationships.

“FANDOM is the fan’s voice in entertainment, a trusted place where they can discover, discuss, and share knowledge on any topic,” said Stephanie Fried, CMO of FANDOM. “Our communities help people find and connect with others who share the same fandoms.”

Fans can share everything they know about their passions by making edits, starting a page, or creating a new wiki. Members can also explore different entertainment brands and discover new shows, games, and movies.

As people around the world deal with isolation and social distancing, in-home entertainment has gained in popularity. It can bring people together in a fun, meaningful way, and FANDOM fosters and grows those connections long after the shows or games end.

Celebrating a Long History as a Platform For Fans

FANDOM was founded in 2004 and initially known as Wikia. It was the go-to crowdsourcing platform for superfans of thousands of entertainment topics. Today, FANDOM hosts more than 250,000 different fan communities and 50 million individual fan pages.

More than 315 million users, on average, visit the site each month to find information on their favorite topics. It’s incredibly popular with young teens and millennials.

Photo of FANDOM CEO Stephanie Fried

Stephanie Fried, CMO of FANDOM, spoke with us about the platform’s appeal to a wide variety of users.

“Fans know that we’re trustworthy, reliable, and unbiased,” Stephanie said. “FANDOM provides a welcoming platform to create and consume entertainment and to interact in an authentic way.”

FANDOM has its headquarters in San Francisco and offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Huntsville, Alabama. It also has a presence in Canada, Poland, the U.K, and Singapore. And FANDOM’s creators and consumers span the globe. That means that no matter where users live, FANDOM has a local or regional community for them.

“Movies, television, and video games brought people together in 2020, altering the fan experience at a macro-level as people processed the changing world around them,” Stephanie said. “As a platform that connects people through their entertainment interests, FANDOM serves our audience everything it wants.”

Games like “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla,” “Godfall,” and “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” are top fandoms on the platform, while movies like “Soul,” “Enola Holmes,” and “The Craft: Legacy” are also popular. For couples who have binged the latest “Animaniacs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” or the new “Saved By The Bell” they will find their place on FANDOM.

In-Home Entertainment is More Popular Than Ever

FANDOM recently conducted The State of Fandom 2020 survey to learn more about the mindset of modern fans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It found that more people than ever rely on at-home entertainment to pass the time and relax.

The study showed that 36% of respondents used their love of movies, TV, and gaming to connect with someone else, an 80% increase from the previous year. More than half of the fans surveyed increased their spending on in-home entertainment through new streaming services, consoles, or purchasing video-on-demand releases.

“More people turned to entertainment to cope and mentally relax,” Stephanie said. “Interest in nostalgic entertainment increased by 78% over last year, as fans rewatched old favorites and introduced their families to the content they loved.”

Screenshot of The State of Fandom 2020 graphic

In 2020, more FANDOM community members connected with others through entertainment.

For example, blockbuster FANDOMs, including Marvel and DC, create content that fans want to pass down to new generations. Families are watching more entertainment together and learning more about storylines that allow them to relax together.

Gaming also hit the mainstream as an effective way to connect and build relationships in 2020. Compared to 2019, FANDOM has seen 80% more female traffic to its Gaming communities this year.

“There is a community for everyone on FANDOM,” Stephanie said. “If you want to engage with fans who enjoy the same things, or if you want to learn about a new fandom and get recommendations for your next binge, you will find it.”

FANDOM: New Categories Soon to Include Role-Playing Games

Since many new releases were put on hold in 2020, people have enjoyed more nostalgic TV and movie content this year. That’s why “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Sopranos,” and “30 Rock” are some of the most popular FANDOMs right now.

Stephanie said that people were binging virus- and plague-themed movies early in the pandemic, including“I Am Legend” and “Virus Inc.” However, as quarantines and social distancing continued, interest veered toward comedies like “The Office” and then fantasy films like “Back to the Future” and the “Harry Potter” series.

“Animal Crossing” is the top game title of 2020, and fans spent a lot of time playing open-world games like “Minecraft” and “Terraria” and exploring popular user-built games on platforms like “Roblox.”

FANDOM members can create their own wiki to share their knowledge of a series, movie, or game if they don’t find a preferred topic. In 2021, the FANDOM team plans to focus on more role-playing games, including “D&D Beyond.”

“We plan to provide more ways to support virtual tabletop play, as well as branch out into other games, including publishing our first Cortex tabletop role-playing games set in the worlds of ‘The Dragon Prince’ and ‘Masters of the Universe,’” Stephanie said.

Those looking to buy a gift for their favorite fan can also head to the new FANDOM shopping platform. It’s an excellent way to strengthen a relationship that is built on a mutual love of movies, TV shows or video games.

“Your entertainment interests say a lot about who you are and the mindset you have,” Stephanie said. “Finding others who share those interests often leads to life-long relationships.”

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