THE BUSINESS Poll Intelligence
THE GREAT LATENIGHT POLL THR analyzes the audiences of after-hours TV as Conan, Jay and the rest scramble for increasingly fragmented viewers By Matthew Belloni hen Conan O’Brien takes the stage viewers, and why do they watch what they watch? Nov. 8 for his new TBS talk show, To nd out, The Hollywood Reporter commissioned late-night viewers will be presented Penn Schoen Berland, a global research company with yet another candidate vying that specializes in political and entertainment for their votes. Will fans of Coco’s consulting. The rm conducted an online survey aborted Tonight Show endorse his Oct. 15-17 from a sample of 700 regular late-night move from NBC? Will he siphon TV viewers ages 18-65 (the sample was provided by Wratings from Leno, Letterman or fellow cable stars uSamp, one of the world’s fastest-growing technol- Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert? And, more ogy and online sampling companies). The results important, in an age of increasingly fractured tele- show that who people watch under the covers at vision audiences, who exactly are these late-night night says a lot about who they are during the day. WHO IS WATCHING THEIR SHOWS?
Conan O’Brien Jay Leno David Letterman Jon Stewart Core demo: 18-34 (56%) Core demo: 45-plus (50%) Core demo: 25-44 (47%) Core demo: 35-54 (49%) Income over $75,000: 22% Income over $75,000: 29% Income over $75,000: 20% Income over $75,000: 22% Largest political a liation: Largest political a liation: Largest political a liation: Largest political a liation: Independent (34%) Republican (39%) Democratic (40%) Democratic (59%) In 2012, intend to vote for: In 2012, intend to vote for: In 2012, intend to vote for: In 2012, intend to vote for: Obama (43%) GOP candidate (46%) Obama (41%) Obama (70%) Believe country is on the right track: Believe country is on the right track: Believe country is on the right track: Believe country is on the right track: 44% 32% 35% 60% Preferred cable networks: Comedy Preferred cable networks: Fox News, Preferred cable networks: Show- Preferred cable networks: MSNBC, Central, Cartoon Network ABC Family time, Spike TV HGTV, AMC Lifestyle: More likely to be single, Lifestyle: Wealthiest, most likely Lifestyle: More likely to be di- Lifestyle: Most likely to be tech-savvy, atheist and own a to be religious and drive a Chevy vorced, watch CNN and drive a married, Catholic and drive a Volkswagen or Pontiac Toyota GMC truck Favorite TV shows: Breaking Bad, Favorite TV shows: Dateline, Favorite TV shows: Criminal Favorite TV shows: Rescue Me, The Colbert Report, The O ce The Biggest Loser Minds, How I Met Your Mother 30 Rock, Mad Men More likely to listen to: Rap More likely to listen to: Country More likely to listen to: Classic rock More likely to listen to: Classical
TEA PARTY-O-METER Do late-night viewers BOOZE OF CHOICE support the Tea Party movement? Depends on who they watch Type of alcoholic beverage late-night viewers are more likely to drink: 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
37% ¡ 27% ¢£¤¢ ¥¥¦§ 24% ª¡ ¡’«¦¤ LENO O’BRIEN LETTERMAN STEWART
9% ¡ ¨¥©¦¥ Red wine Vodka-based drinks Malt beverages Beer FROM TOP REUTERSPAULLEFT: DRINKWATERNBCHANDOUT; CARLO ALLEGRIGETTY IMAGES; CABALLEROGETTYGUSTAVO IMAGES; PETER KRAMERGETTY IMAGES; ISTOCK; WIREIMAGE; ISTOCK2; GEORGE NAPOLITANOFILMMAGIC; ETHAN MILLERGETTY IMAGES
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WORD ASSOCIATIONS The viewers were asked to say the one word they most associate with each host. WHO WOULD YOU WATCH IF The bigger the word below, the more o en they said it. ALL WERE ON AT SAME TIME? JAY LENO JAY LENO DAVID LETTERMAN tired boring chin likable lame outdated unfunny loud stale good dumb 23 15 dated … but jumps … only trails Leno fun arrogant to 34% of 50- 21%-18% with sarcastic to 65-year-olds 35- to 49-year-olds funny corny old nice entertaining best great cool ass CONAN O’BRIEN GEORGE LOPEZ humorous interest annoying ok quirky overrated 11 10 … and 16% … but only CONAN O’BRIEN of 18- to 34-year- 38% know Lopez olds pick Conan is on TBS awesome ok weird silly quirky JON STEWART CRAIG FERGUSON fresh exciting hilarious stupid good screwed entertaining dumb goofy fun odd bored 10 8 new … but only 8% … but 12% wittyannoying of 18- to 34-year- of 35- to 49-year- funnycrazy olds pick Stewart olds prefer Craig great old average cool young obnoxious interesting CHELSEA HANDLER STEPHEN COLBERT DAVID LETTERMAN 7 7 tired intelligent aged … jumps to … rises to rude serious 13% among 18- 10% among 18- dry okentertaining cool to 34-year-olds to 34-year-olds funnysleazy smart good JIMMY FALLON JIMMY KIMMEL arrogant fun sarcastic amusing classicannoying great obnoxious witty 6 3 goofy outdated cheater … drops to … only small bored lame 3%among 50- uptick (4%) for to 65-year-olds 18- to 34-year-olds hilarious interesting old
Where do they Support Obamacare Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Build the Muslim Cultural Center Allow Gay Marriage stand on the ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ the issues? 47% 45% 20% 47% THR asked the viewers to ª¡ ª¡ ª¡ ª¡ weigh in on some of the hot- % % % % button political topics that 60 61 42 56 dominate the news — and ¥¥¦§ ¥¥¦§ ¥¥¦§ ¥¥¦§ the late-night monologues. 55% 50% 25% 42% of Jon Stewart’s viewers ¨¥©¦¥ ¨¥©¦¥ ¨¥©¦¥ ¨¥©¦¥ 71% support legalizing marijuana. 80% 74% 54% 75% CLOCKWISE FROM TOP BILLYLEFT; FARRELLPATRICK MCMULLAN.COMSIPA PRESS; DONNA WARDGETTY IMAGES; FRAZER HARRISONGETTY IMAGES; MARK VON HOLDENGETTYIMAGES; DONNA WARDGETTY IMAGES; MICHAEL KOVACFILMMAGIC;GETTYIMAGES; ; JEMAL COUNTESS FREDERICK M.BROWNGETTY IMAGES; PAUL ANDREW HAWTHORNEWIREIMAGE; PAUL ZIMMERMANADMEDIA
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Viewers who think Letterman is the best interviewer: % TONIGHT SHOW FALLOUT: … but only % would want to have a beer with him. WHO WON AND LOST? O’Brien’s messy public divorce from NBC le a bad taste in viewers’ mouths, but the vast majority of them blame the network, rather than Jay or Conan, for the situation. THE PERSONALITY BATTLEGROUND Given a list of adjectives, viewers were asked to select as many as Did the situation between Did the situation between O’Brien they felt apply to each late-night personality. Among 18- to 49-year-olds: O’Brien and Leno make you want and Leno make you want to to watch The Tonight Show? watch programming on NBC? mean-spirited MORE ¡ ¡’«¦¤ ¥¥¦§ NO EFFECT MORE 7% 46% 14% % % % NO EFFECT LESS LESS % 64 29% 40% outdated ¡ ¡’«¦¤ ¥¥¦§ Who do you feel is the Who do you feel most at fault for the situation came out of the O’Brien-Leno % % % between O’Brien and Leno? situation as the winner? O’BRIEN NBC 14% LENO smart 9% 36% NBC TBS 14% ¡ ¡’«¦¤ ¥¥¦§ 73% LENO 18% O’BRIEN LETTERMAN 15% 21% % % % trustworthy Viewers who believe ¡ ¡’«¦¤ ¥¥¦§ that Letterman provides the % % % smartest political commentary: whiny ¡ ¡’«¦¤ ¥¥¦§ % % % ... but % say Leno is the funniest about politics.3% THE FUTURE OF LATENIGHT TV: AMONG WOMEN: AMONG NONWHITES: THEY LIKE YOU, BUT WHERE ARE YOU? Do you think each of these personalities is Which personality is Which personality is on his or her way up or down? on his or her way up? on his or her way up? 35% of viewers 29% of viewers correctly placed correctly placed Conan O’Brien Chelsea Handler Jon % Jimmy % George % George % with TBS. with E! network. Stewart 62 Fallon 55 Lopez 66 Lopez 76
Stephen % Chelsea % Chelsea % Stephen % LATE NIGHT AS A Colbert 62 Handler 53 Handler 61 Colbert 65 PROMOTIONAL TOOL Viewers were asked what e ect, if any, George % Craig % Jon % Conan % seeing an actor on a late-night talk Lopez 60 Ferguson 50 Stewart 61 O’Brien 62 show has on their decision to see the movie he or she is promoting. Conan % David % Stephen % Jon % O’Brien 58 Letterman 52 Colbert 60 Stewart 61 MORE 51% LIKELY Jimmy % Jay % Jimmy % Jimmy % Kimmel 55 Leno 60 Fallon 58 Kimmel 59 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP JASONLEFT: MERRITTGETTY IMAGES; JEFF KRAVITZ FILMMAGIC; PATRICK MCMULLANPAT RICK MCMULLAN.COMSIPA PRESS; SIPA NEWSCOM; SEE PREVIOUS PAGE.
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