Among political groups, Democrats tend to watch late-night TV shows more than Republicans and independents.
Late-night talk shows are undergoing changes and despite recent controversies that have rocked the entertainment world, a recent poll finds that many Americans aren’t watching them as much as they used to.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released a poll after the news that Stephen Colbert’s late-night show was being canceled prior to the announcement of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
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Data for the poll consisted of 1,182 people and was performed Aug. 21-25, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which was created to be representative of the nation’s population.
By the numbers:
Approximately 25% of Americans admit they have viewed a late-night talk show or variety show at least monthly in the last year.
The poll also found that political groups were divided when it comes to their viewing of late-night shows.
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Democrats tend to be more frequent late-night TV viewers, with a little under a half of Democrats sharing that they’ve watched late-night clips at least once a month in the past year, compared with only about a quarter of either Republicans or independents.
According to the poll, Democrats are also more likely to routinely watch all or most of a late-night TV show. And roughly one-third of Democrats say they’ve done this monthly over the last year, compared with about 2 in 10 Republicans or independents.
Meanwhile, in follow-up interviews, the poll found that some Republicans said they used to enjoy late-night shows but now feel the programs are too political.
Dig deeper:
Half of Americans share that they’ve watched all or most of a late-night talk or variety show in the past year, but for many of those individuals, it’s not a routine. According to the poll, late-night clips reach a wider audience, with 6 in 10 Americans having watched clips from a late-night talk show in the past year.
Additionally, 25% of respondents to the poll said they have watched a late-night talk show at least monthly in the past year, but 33% admit they’ve watched related show clips. Many Americans are more familiar with the hosts and have thoughts on the changing media industry.
The poll also showed that late-night show clips tend to be viewed more by younger audiences, with roughly 7 in 10 Americans under age 30 saying they’ve watched clips from late-night TV shows in the past year, compared with 56% of Americans age 60 or older.
