Ratings, ratings, ratings. They help producers, television executives, and advertisers find out where they need to put their time, money, and efforts to bring you programming that you like. But what do LGBT viewers like to watch?
For the first time, Nielsen has isolated households with same-sex couples, both married and unmarried, to determine the top TV shows this demographic is tuning in for.
The audience management system partnered with GLAAD to measure data starting from Sept. 30. The analysis found that same-sex couples are watching different programs than overall viewers.
So what are we watching this year? I myself have been watching COZI TV and ION Television to avoid all the politics of the past months as well as the negative state of being of our country.
What Nielsen found was that we LGBTQers are a little different than our counterparts.
Top Shows for Overall Viewers
- Manifest
- The Big Bang Theory
- NCIS
- This Is Us.
For Same-Sex Couple Households (top 3, see top 20 at end of post)
- Murphy Brown
- Manifest
- American Horror Story
“Manifest” and “The Big Bang Theory” were in the top five for all viewers but “Murphy Brown” and “American Horror Story” were only in the top five for same-sex viewers.
As the media marketplace continues to evolve, our clients are increasingly looking to better understand consumers of all types to effectively reach new and unique audiences. This translates directly into why diversity and inclusion is a business imperative for Nielsen and why we will continue to invest in ways to ensure our world-class TV panel reflects the true diversity of the consumer landscape. This enhancement will help both programmers and marketers gain LGBTQ audience insights and provide the industry with better understand the compelling opportunity these consumers represent. – Brian Fuhrer, Senior Vice President of Product Leadership at Nielsen
CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis feels that there is an importance in knowing what LGBT households are watching and stressed the importance of LGBT inclusion in the ratings.
It’s important that we know American audiences are connecting with these characters and shows. We appreciate Nielsen’s commitment to ensuring that LGBTQ people wherever they live and consume television are being counted — and that those numbers are being reported. GLAAD is proud to work alongside them as they continue to expand and enhance their capabilities.
The US Census may or may not be counting that LGBT citizens exist in 'Merika, but at least advertisers know what we are watching.
How did their results align with what you watch?
What show wasn't on "our" list that you thought sure would have been there?
Top 20 among same-sex households
- Murphy Brown (CBS)
- Manifest (NBC)
- American Horror Story (FX)
- This Is Us (NBC)
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
- The Good Doctor (ABC)
- Modern Family (ABC)
- The Big Bang Theory (special) (CBS)
- The Voice (NBC)
- Young Sheldon (CBS)
- Mom (CBS)
- 9-1-1 (Fox)
- 60 Minutes (CBS)
- The Voice (Tues) (NBC)
- Young Sheldon (special) (CBS)
- Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
- Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
- New Amsterdam (NBC)
- Empire (Fox)
- Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Where the hell is Will &
Where the hell is Will & Grace?!