America’s Newest Pastime
Insights: Insights Report

America’s Newest Pastime

The Rise of News and Politics as ‘Sport’

Did you know that just as many Americans watched the 2016 Presidential Election debates as they did the Super Bowl - and that aggregated time spent watching the debates was 81% higher?

We are witnessing a heightened vibrancy and passion among viewers for news and political programming.  In fact, a closer look reveals that viewers’ passion for news and politics has reached a level similar to that felt about sports. Why does this matter to marketers?

Campaigns that utilize news programming benefit not only from increased consumer reach and exposure, but they also engage loyal and attentive viewers in a programming environment they are passionate about. It’s no surprise that ad spending in news has increased 30% since 2015, with more brands investing each year.

This report highlights the benefits to marketers of including news programming as part of a campaign as this viewer demonstrates passion, commitment, and fervor – on par with  the sports fan.


Did you know…

…that the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing drew over 20 million viewers, on par with the NFL Thanksgiving Day match-up between the Falcons and Saints.

…that adults consume over 40 billion hours of national TV news each year, an increase of 34% vs. 2014.

…that fandoms flock to their trusted TV brands and follow them across platforms and devices. Over 9 out of 10 Adults 18-34 access TV-branded news online

…that on any given night of the week, the number of viewers following their favorite news programs rivals that of sports programming

The Characteristics Of Sports & Sports Fandom Are Now Universal Within The World Of News & Politics
News vs. Sports Programming P18+ Average Audience (000)

America’s Newest Pastime

America’s Newest Pastime

The Rise of News and Politics as ‘Sport’

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