Supernatural U.S. Viewer Audience Map and Demographics
According to a New York Times article, the 50 most popular TV shows in America can be classified into three distinct audience patterns. Supernatural made the list (!)
and is most popular with people who live in rural areas:
Supernatural’s placement in the list at #45 indicates that it enjoys an extremely low differential between its fans’ demographics throughout the US (#50 had the least difference; #1 had the most difference). In other words, Supernatural’s audience consistency across regions or ethnicity is nearly the highest among the US’s Top 50 shows! The article’s data confirms the research that we’ve seen in other studies – Supernatural is a “point of unity in a splintering culture”.
The down side of Supernatural’s audience appeal is that it is not on the list of shows that can demand the highest advertising rates. Those are the shows that appeal to ” younger, more affluent, urban viewers.” The map that identifies those shows is filled with commonly recognized names, such as “Game of Thrones”, “Orange is the New Black”, “The Big Bang Theory” and “SNL”. Surprisingly, there are several well-known shows that share Supernatural’s rural audience appeal, such as “Criminal Minds”, NCIS” and “Dancing with the Stars”, but there are also a few that are near and dear to many Supernatural fans, such as “The Walking Dead”.
Thoughts on the similarities and contrasts? Does this data surprise you? Where do your favorite shows fit on the map?
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