Horizon Media Study Uncovers Clear Differences Between Late Night Talk and Satirical News Audiences

For Noah, Path Appears Clear; For Colbert, There May Be Obstacles

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Sep 29, 2015, 08:06 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest study from Horizon Media's Finger on the Pulse — the agency's proprietary online research community, comprised of 3,000 people reflective of the U.S. population — traditional late night talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon or Jimmy Kimmel Live are more than twice as popular as satirical news shows like The Daily Show or Last Week Tonight. More than 4 in 10 (43%) adult viewers say they've tuned in to traditional late night shows, while 2 in 10 say they've tuned in to satirical news programs.

Relatable banter and celebrity guests rule in the traditional late night talk format. When asked what appeals to them about the genre, viewers most often chose "accessible humor" (48%), celebrity interviews (42%), and the iconic opening monologue (41%). "Relatable topics and relaxed conversation" (31%) as well as musical guests (22%) round out the top five of late night talk's mass appeal factors.

"Late night has long provided an escape for the viewer with fresh, new content each night, from a familiar voice that they've chosen to let into their homes," said Marianne Gambelli, Chief Investment Officer at Horizon Media. "The networks have done a good job in recent years finding young replacements with a large social following to keep the late night momentum going after the departure of a long time host."

By contrast, satirical news shows attract a more targeted audience looking for something very different in late night. Men are more likely to watch than women (25% vs.15%), and Millennials are more likely to watch than older viewers; almost a third (32%) of viewers 18-34 say they've watched (vs. 23% of 35-49, 13% of 50-64, and 11% of 65+). More than half (55%) of satirical news viewers cite "irreverent humor" as the main reason they tune in. They also enjoy the "topical conversation and debate" (36%) political content (26%) and edgy tone (25%). Just 18% say celebrity interviews, a mainstay of traditional late night talk, drive them to tune in to satirical news programs.

"The results of this study bode well for Trevor Noah," says Kirk Olson, VP of TrendSights at Horizon Media. "Viewers drawn to edgy humor may even see his eyebrow-raising Twitter posts as proof he'll strike the irreverent tone they're looking for. On the other hand, Colbert may need to pivot hard from his politically charged cable persona to appeal to a wider late night audience."

On this point, the study confirms that late night talk audiences may want a different kind of Colbert. Nearly 2 in 10 late night viewers (19%) say the reason they haven't watched satirical news shows is that they are "too political" while others cite bias (15%) and one-sidedness (13%) as deterrents.

Nevertheless, even without Jon Stewart, satirical news is here to stay. The majority of late night viewers across both formats believe there will be no change to either the number of satirical news programs available (69%) or the number of people watching them (63%). In fact, one in ten believe the number of satirical news shows on the air will actually increase in coming years. And regardless of whether or not they watch personally, 4 in 10 viewers agree that satirical news shows are "important in the current state of our nation," with Millennials (56%) being even more likely to say so.

About Horizon Media
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world's ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry's leading trade association.

The company's mission is "To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere." By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees.

The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, please visit horizonmedia.com.

Contact
Horizon Media
Kaya Lobaczewski
(212) 220-2102
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SOURCE Horizon Media