Here is the third section of a four-part look at the favorite magazines of the broadcast audience, this time focusing on programming favored by younger television watchers. It is based on the invaluable research of BIGinsight.
The numbers are not large – we didn’t see a single magazine capture a double-digit share of any particular audience.
That said, the choices do vary widely from one program type to another, and the inferences that can be made may help you program your station and target advertisers.
The reverse is true as well – if any magazine professionals happen upon this report, you will see how well your publication stands with various broadcast programming types.
People is by far the most popular magazine, and Time, though picked by less than half as many people, is safely tucked away in the #2 slot. The relationship between these two magazines alone in reference to a particular program type says a lot about that audience, in our humble opinion.
Boilerplate: We are presenting the average age and the gender breakdown of each program type, and as a benchmark, we will start out with general Adult 18+ results. Each list includes all titles that earned a 1.0 or better. The number in parens following each magazine title refers to its 18+ rank. Please note that there are many ties – beginning at the #7 slot, where Woman’s Day and Better Homes and Gardens both came in at 1.3%. The next magazine is #9 Essence, with #8 occupied more or less by one of the #7 tie magazines. Four magazines happened to tie for the 10th position.
We also provide a list of the top 10 magazines – really the top 13 because of the ties at the #10 slot – that did not make a particular list. You will notice the lists grow shorter as the age of the demographic increases, indicating it is older Americans who are likely buying most of the magazines out there.
Adults 18+
45.3: Age
48.7%: Men
51.3%: Women
5.1% People (1)
2.5% Time (2)
2.0% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.6% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.5% Readers Digest (5)
1.4% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.3% Woman’s Day (7)
1.3% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.2% Essence (9)
1.1% Game Informer (10)
1.1% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.1% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.1% Newsweek (10)
1.0% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.0% Maxim (14)
1.0% Ebony (14)
0.9% National Geographic (17)
0.8% Men’s Health (18)
0.8% O Magazine (18)
0.8% All You (18)
Source: BIGinsight
Cartoon
31.8: Age
55.9%: Men
44.1%: Women
Definitely a People crowd, and this youthful group gives a huge boost to Game Informer, and an even bigger one to Seventeen. However, this group may have a hard time finding something to read in a medical waiting room, with six top titles on its drop list (see next).
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Readers Digest (5), Good Housekeeping (6), Woman’s Day (7), Better Homes and Gardens (7), AARP The Magazine (10), Newsweek (10)
6.4% People (1)
4.2% Game Informer (10)
2.9% Cosmopolitan (4)
2.3% Time (2)
1.8% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.8% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.8% Maxim (14)
1.6% Seventeen (37)
1.4% Ebony (14)
1.3% Essence (9)
1.2% Playboy (23)
1.0% Entertainment Weekly (14)
Source: BIGinsight
Music videos
32.3: Age
53.2%: Men
46.8%: Women
This group is big for People, gives a huge boost to Seventeen, and as you might expect, is also far more fond of Rolling Stone than most of the population. A number of titles are elevated above the norm, with special mention going to GQ, rising all the way from #39 to find a spot on the list.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Readers Digest (5), Good Housekeeping (6), Better Homes and Gardens (7), AARP The Magazine (10), Newsweek (10)
8.3% People (1)
3.7% Cosmopolitan (4)
2.8% Time (2)
2.5% Game Informer (10)
2.4% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.9% Seventeen (37)
1.7% Essence (9)
1.6% Rolling Stone (25)
1.5% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.4% Ebony (14)
1.3% Maxim (14)
1.3% Men’s Health (18)
1.2% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.2% Playboy (23)
1.1% US Weekly (22)
1.0% Woman’s Day (7)
1.0% Jet (21)
1.0% GQ (39)
Source: BIGinsight
Wrestling
35.8: Age
76.8%: Men
23.2%: Women
Here we have a young male audience that gravitates strongly to Game Informer, giving it #2 status. Playboy and Rolling Stone are also popular, but you can kiss all of those household magazines that populate the top of the charts good-bye!
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Readers Digest (5), Good Housekeeping (6), Woman’s Day (7), Better Homes and Gardens (7), Essence (9), Newsweek (10)
5.7% People (1)
3.7% Game Informer (10)
3.4% Sports Illustrated (3)
3.1% Time (2)
2.8% ESPN The Magazine (10)
2.8% Maxim (14)
1.9% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.5% Jet (21)
1.3% Playboy (23)
1.2% Rolling Stone (25)
1.1% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.1% Ebony (14)
1.0% Entertainment Weekly (14)
Source: BIGinsight
Reality TV
41.5: Age
39.2%: Men
60.8%: Women
With this female-leaning audience comes increased readership for US Weekly and Glamour, and People is almost into exalted double-digit territory. There are enough men in the audience to support male-leaning magazines – the list of titles getting 1% or more is long for this group.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: AARP The Magazine (10), Newsweek (10)
9.4% People (1)
3.1% Cosmopolitan (4)
2.2% Essence (9)
2.1% Time (2)
2.0% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.7% US Weekly (22)
1.5% Ebony (14)
1.4% Readers Digest (5)
1.3% Woman’s Day (7)
1.3% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.3% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.3% Maxim (14)
1.2% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.2% Game Informer (10)
1.2% O Magazine (18)
1.1% All You (18)
1.1% Glamour (28)
1.0% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.0% Jet (21)
Source: BIGinsight
Religious shows
42.2: Age
51.7%: Men
48.3%: Women
The African-American contingent of this audience is evidenced by the ascension of Ebony to the #1 slot; Jet does well also. Not surprising is the big boost this group gives to Family Circle. On the other hand, we were very surprised to see Playboy make this list.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Woman’s Day (7), Better Homes and Gardens (7), AARP The Magazine (10), Newsweek (10)
4.8% Ebony (14)
4.7% People (1)
2.6% Time (2)
2.6% Essence (9)
2.3% Jet (21)
1.8% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.6% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.6% O Magazine (18)
1.5% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.2% Game Informer (10)
1.1% Readers Digest (5)
1.1% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.1% All You (18)
1.1% Playboy (23)
1.1% Family Circle (27)
Source: BIGinsight
Cooking
43.5: Age
40.8%: Men
59.2%: Women
All in all, this group reads what everybody else reads, elevating the household titles over the sportier ones. Getting a boost are two tied at #18: All You and O Magazine.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: AARP The Magazine (10), Newsweek (10)
6.2% People (1)
2.1% Time (2)
2.1% Cosmopolitan (4)
2.0% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.8% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.7% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.6% Woman’s Day (7)
1.3% Readers Digest (5)
1.3% Essence (9)
1.3% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.2% Game Informer (10)
1.2% Ebony (14)
1.2% All You (18)
1.1% O Magazine (18)
1.0% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.0% Maxim (14)
Source: BIGinsight
Movies
44.5: Age
48.8%: Men
51.2%: Women
This is a large multifaceted group – as we’ve pointed out before, almost everybody watches a movie on TV at some point. What’s interesting about the list is its length – no less than 20 titles scored at least 1% of the broad movie audience, including all of the most popular titles.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: None
6.5% People (1)
2.9% Time (2)
2.5% Sports Illustrated (3)
2.1% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.6% Essence (9)
1.5% Woman’s Day (7)
1.5% Game Informer (10)
1.4% Readers Digest (5)
1.4% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.4% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.4% Maxim (14)
1.3% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.3% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.3% Ebony (14)
1.2% Newsweek (10)
1.2% Men’s Health (18)
1.1% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.0% National Geographic (17)
1.0% O Magazine (18)
1.0% Jet (21)
Source: BIGinsight
Sitcoms
44.5 Age
48.9%: Men
51.1%: Women
The big gainer with this group is Entertainment Weekly, elevated from #14 to #4. A number of other titles are also elevated onto the list, with Rolling Stone coming all the way up from #25 to just make it.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: AARP The Magazine (10)
7.6% People (1)
2.9% Time (2)
2.7% Sports Illustrated (3)
2.1% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.9% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.8% Readers Digest (5)
1.6% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.5% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.5% Woman’s Day (7)
1.3% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.3% Newsweek (10)
1.3% Maxim (14)
1.2% Essence (9)
1.2% O Magazine (18)
1.1% Game Informer (10)
1.1% Ebony (14)
1.1% Men’s Health (18)
1.0% All You (18)
1.0% Rolling Stone (25)
Source: BIGinsight
Documentary
45.0: Age
58.7%: Men
41.3%: Women
You’d think this is a more serious type of audience, and your guess would be confirmed by its magazine tastes. Time is still #2 but closes the gap with People significantly, and National Geographic is all the way up from #17 to claim the third spot. It’s another long list, which includes all the most popular titles.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: None
5.1% People (1)
4.1% Time (2)
2.3% National Geographic (17)
2.1% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.6% Maxim (14)
1.5% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.4% Readers Digest (5)
1.4% Newsweek (10)
1.3% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.1% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.2% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.2% Essence (9)
1.2% Game Informer (10)
1.1% Playboy (23)
1.0% Woman’s Day (7)
1.0% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.0% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.0% Ebony (14)
1.0% Men’s Health (18)
1.0% Rolling Stone (25)
Source: BIGinsight
