Situation
As the pandemic continued through Q3, many U.S. TV viewers remained stuck indoors. However, with live sports returning, there was more premium inventory to watch. Between sports and election news, brands were back on the air to take advantage of increased impressions — especially for the top shows and networks.
Of the top 10 networks in Q3 2020, eight increased impressions vs. the same time period last year, as did nine of the top 10 shows. That group of shows included both NBA and NHL games — typically not live in Q3 — as well as NFL and MLB games, too.
Key Takeaways
- NFL impressions were second among all new (non-syndicated) shows, but were down 37% year-over-year (in part due to more sports and election news
- NBA impressions were tops among all new, non-syndicated shows — displaying an impressive dominance despite only starting in late July and airing outside of its typical timeframe
- Without early commutes, audiences found themselves in front of the TV more in the morning, as morning programs like Good Morning America, Today and Fox & Friends were all over the top shows by impressions
- Cable news networks showed big gains, as Fox News (40%) and CNN (78%) saw some of the biggest year-over-year impressions gains among the top networks
- Though ESPN impressions were still down compared to Q3, TNT rode NBA playoff broadcasts to a 94% increase from the same time period last year
Why It Matters
Though TV appears up in the air in 2020, some long-standing truths remain. Audiences will watch live sports and presidential election coverage. News is up in an election year. And football always draws eyeballs.
For as much as brands may think the landscape is different — and it has been in many ways, throughout 2020 — understanding the shows and networks that deliver the most impressions is still a core building block of TV ad buying and planning.
Interested in learning more about top networks, shows and how to identify your audience in this altered TV ad environment? Download iSpot’s new report below for the latest trends and insights.