I suppose that we can not discuss audiences without first discussing how audiences, essentially, control media content. In terms of the production of film and television, audiences have a major influence regarding what should be viewed or not.
For example, to make a film, funding is needed to create the project. This would require examination regarding whether the idea in the first place would be popular with audiences. This sometimes mean that creative choices are limited, because something more controversial would lead to a refusal from audiences to view the created production. However, this is interesting, because something that is controversial would cause popularity with viewers, with wide discussion about a media project increasing interest in a media product.
An example of this would be the controversial comedy film, The Interview (2014). This film was controversial, due to the comedy being directed towards the dictator of North Korea during more turbulent times in the diplomatic relationship between North Korea and the United States. Eventually, the film was banned in the US, which caused a public uproar regarding the freedom of speech. Many critics believe that this reaction caused the films popularity, due to reports from critics that the film itself was an ‘average’ comedy. But due to the massive exposure of the film, there was more of an audience than initially thought, increasing the expectations of the box office.