Media plans can turn into political sport.
Now, media buyers who want to target viewers by their politics via TV sports should choose accordingly --- golf events for Republicans and
basketball games for Democrats.
According to a new study, the PGA Tour offers an index of 135 for Republicans, and 88 for Democrats. While the NBA pulls a 136 index for Democrats, Republicans
only tally a 75.
These findings were first published in NationalJournal.com's "Hotline On Call" digital area, which credits these results from a new study by National Media Inc., a GOP
advocacy-marketing firm, by way of third-party media researcher Scarborough USA.
Scarborough surveyed some 218,000 respondents between August 2008 and September 2009. Scarborough typically
produces lifestyle and other media behavior data for TV, radio and print platforms.
Republicans were highly over-indexed -- above its average -- in PGA events, college football, NASCAR, pro
bull riding, NHL and LPGA Tour. Democrats were big on NBA, WNBA, tennis, MLS Pro Soccer and WWE wrestling.
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Where did Republicans and Democrats see eye-to-eye?
The closest comparison was with
Minor League Baseball -- with Republicans getting a 104 index, to the Democrats' 105. Major League Baseball was also over-indexed by both -- with a slight gain to Republicans.
The
worst-performing sports? For Republicans, it is WWE at a 55 index and WNBA at 57 index. For Democrats, the lowest was pro bull riding at 78 and the PGA Tour at 88.
GOP Dem R-D Voter Turnout % Very
Sport/ League
| Index | Index
| Index
| Index
| Interested
|
PG/A Tour
| 135 | 88 | +47 | 135 | 9% |
College Football
| 136 | 91 | +45 | 125 | 23 |
| NASCAR | 125 | 82
| +43 | 108 | 10 |
Pro bull riding
| 115 | 78 | +37
| 109 | 3 |
| NHL | 120 | 92 | +28 | 118 | 5 |
| LPGA Tour
| 117 | 93 | +24 | 132 | 2 |
NHRA/Drag racing
| 106 | 82 | +24 | 97
| 3 |
High school sports
| 118 | 104 | +14 | 130 | 9 |
| Olympics | 117 | 103 | +14 | 123
| 28 |
| Motocross | 95 | 81 | +14 | 78 | -- |
College basketball
| 118 | 105 | +13 | 127
| 14 |
| NFL | 111 | 103 | +8 | 111 | 2
9 |
| MLB | 110 | 105 | +5 | 121 | 17 |
| Minor League baseball | 104
| 105 | -1 | 127
| 2
|
Extreme sports
| 86 | 94 | -8 | 75 | -- |
Grand-Am racing
| 83
| 94 | -11 | 98 | -- |
| Monster
trucks | 79 | 91 | -12 | 78 | -- |
Men's tennis
| 93 | 117 | -24
| 119 | 4
|
Pro soccer (MLS)
| 75 | 116 | -41
| 85 | 2 |
| Women's
tennis | 77 | 131 | -54 | 116 | 3 |
| WWE (Wrestling) | 55 | 114
| -59 | 66 | 2 |
| NBA | 75 | 136
| -61 | 102 | 9 |
WNBA
| 57 | 153 | -96 | 111 | 2 |
GOP Dem R-D Voter Turnout % Very
Interested Voters
| Sport/ League | Index
| Index | Index
| Index
| Interested
|
| NFL | 111 | 103 | +8 | 111 | 29 |
| Olympics | 117 103 | +14 | 123 | 28 |
College football
| 136 | 91 | +45
| 125 | 23 |
MLB
| 110 | 105 | +5 | 121 | 17 |
College basketball
| 118 | 105
| +13 | 127 | 14
|
| NASCAR | 125 | 82 | +43 | 108 | 10 |
| PGA Tour | 135
| 88 | +47 | 135 | 9 |
High school sports
| 118 | 104 | +14 | 130 |
9 |
| NBA | 75 | 136 | -61 | 102 | 9 |
| NHL | 120 | 92
| +28 | 118 | 5 |
Men's tennis
| 93 | 117 | -24 | 119 | 4
|
Pro bull riding
| 115 | 78 | +37 | 109 | 3 |
| NHRA/Drag
racing | 106 | 82 | +24 | 97
| 3 |
Women's tennis
| 77 | 131
| -54 | 116
| 3 |
Minor league baseball
| 104 | 105 | -1 | 127 | 2 |
LPGA tour
| 117 | 93 | +24 | 132 | 2 |
Pro soccer (MLS)
| 75 | 116 | -41 | 85
| 2 |
| WNBA | 57 | 153 | -96 | 111 | 2 |
WWE (Wrestling)
| 55 | 114 | -59 | 66 | 2 |
Motocross
| 95 | 81 | +14 | 78 | -- |
Extreme sports
| 86 | 94 | -8 | 75
| -- |
Grand-Am racing
| 83 | 94
| -11 | 98 | --
|
Monster trucks
| 79
| 91 | -12
| 78 | -- |