Be Still My Viewing Heart
Insights: Marketer's Guide

Be Still My Viewing Heart

An Exploration of the Emotional Bond Viewers Have With Television Programming and the Impact on Brands and Advertisers

VAB has often demonstrated the undeniable ability of TV to drive business growth, but in this guide, we explore the emotional impact of television.

Television programming satisfies our powerful human emotional need for connection—a connection not only to the characters and stories that resonate with us, but also the desire for a shared experience with our community.

The emotional bond many of us feel with television programming is made clear by…


  • The amount of time and attention we give it—more than five hours a day, double what we spend eating, drinking, shopping and viewing Facebook, combined.
  • Our insatiability for more content from the shows we love—52 million Facebook followers of the top five shows alone.
  • The urgency we feel to rejoin the stories we loyally follow—88% of primetime is viewed live.


Emotionally compelling, character-driven premium programming builds a connection with viewers.

But, why is this important for advertisers?


  • 90% of human decision-making is dictated by emotion.
  • 85% of consumer purchases are driven by emotional attachment.
  • And, 58% of consumers believe that television is where they are most likely to find advertising that makes them feel emotional (a figure 6x greater than that of social media).
TV Programs Evoke Emotions Ranging From Suspense to Elation Top 250 TV Programs, grouped by genre
TV Holds Attention Across the Duration of a Program Across genres and broadcast/cable networks, audience fluctuation was less than 20% between the program's beginning and end

Be Still My Viewing Heart

Be Still My Viewing Heart

An Exploration of the Emotional Bond Viewers Have With Television Programming and the Impact on Brands and Advertisers

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