The results of a joint study between Hub Entertainment Research and the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) fielded as part of Hub’s annual “Decoding The Default” survey found significant differences between liberals and conservatives in which entertainment TV shows they find appealing.
Study highlights include:
The TV viewing audience is almost equally split between liberals and conservatives
Almost equal numbers of viewers described themselves as liberal or conservative. Three in ten reported themselves as “somewhat” or “very” conservative, while a nearly identical 29% said they were “somewhat” or “very” liberal. The plurality of TV viewers however (41%) say they are “moderate.”
Long-running shows topped the list of most likeable
The study included a select list of programs chosen to represent various genres and viewing sources. Among all viewers, the list of most-liked shows was topped by Friends, Saturday Night Live, and NCIS, followed by Amazon Prime Video’s newcomer Fallout. Only Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Love Is Blind had likeability scores below 50%.
Strong characters and relationships drove the likeability of shows that appeal to both liberals and conservatives
Friends, Fallout, NCIS, and Suits held equal appeal to viewers on both sides of the ideological spectrum. In directed questioning, many viewers pointed to the strong, relatable characters and the relationship chemistry as the reasons the shows are so likeable.
Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant at Hub, said, “Viewers indicated they liked characters with strong relationships and good chemistry. We heard that from viewers about shows as different as Friends, NCIS, and Yellowstone. These shows have characters who are family (Yellowstone), workplace colleagues (NCIS) as well as Friends. In terms of story elements, these groups of friends, colleagues, and family members working together and showing camaraderie is a key element. And in the case of Suits, the potential for romance was an appeal.”
The shows that overtly feature political content and take a specific POV have a strong liberal skew
Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live, two shows that feature a political satire and poke fun at politicians had the most skewed likeability scores, with liberals much more positive than conservatives. Viewers who did not like these shows considered them too slanted and “woke.”
The urban-based public school comedy Abbott Elementary was the other show whose appeal was significantly greater among liberals than conservatives.
Game of Thrones, Ted Lasso, and Bridgerton had significant but smaller liberal skews on likeability.
“There’s a commonality among many of the shows that skewed liberal in appeal,” Loughney said. “Abbott Elementary, Bridgerton, and even Ted Lasso feature a lot of diversity in their casts. [In] my opinion, those might be shows whose casting appears inclusive to many viewers. I don’t think it’s [unappealing to] all conservative viewers, but probably enough to make a difference.”
Entertainment TV can be polarizing in today’s political climate
Of the twelve entertainment shows tested in this study, eight had partisan skews in likeability. Although two of the programs are characterized by political satire, the remaining six had no overt political content.
The results of this study show viewers on the right and left of the political divide are not only separated by ideological differences, but the polarization can also extend to entertainment as well.
“Content creators aiming for wide appeal should also consider whether their programs contain implicit biases against viewers on the political right or left,” Loughney said. “In addition to considering potential demographic skews, creators should also consider the political values of their target audience.”
These findings are from Hub’s 2024 “Decoding The Default” report, based on a survey conducted among 1,600 US consumers age 16-74, who have broadband at home and watch at least 1 hour of TV per week. Interviews were conducted in August 2024 and explored the factors that influence consumers’ choices for their default TV viewing sources, and how they allocate their time across different types of video content. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website. This report is part of the “Hub Reports” syndicated report series.
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