Following our past analysis of the most engaging shows on US TV, we now focus on the programs that most captivated and engaged spectators in August 2023.
FOX managed to secure two of the TOP 3 categories, winning the spot of most engaging unscripted show with the First GOP Debate and the most engaging sports program with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final between Spain and England. TLC secured the top spot when it came to scripted shows with Sister Wives.
Now, let’s dive into the Most Engaging Shows on US TV in August.
Scripted Shows: Sister Wives, S18E02, TLC
The second episode of the eighteenth season of Sister Wives was a success with the audience. The show, which premiered in 2010 on TLC and initially followed the lives of a polygamist family, has taken a turn as the family grows further and further apart and the drama intensifies.
The second episode of this awaited new season did not fail to capture the audience’s attention and achieved an EIS (Emotional Impact Score) of 734, that is, 27% above the norm for scripted shows in August 2023 and 47% higher than the average for all TV programs. This episode of Sister Wives also scored 52% above Mediaprobe’s norm for US television in 2023.
Unscripted Shows: GOP Debate, FOX
The First GOP Debate of 2023, which aired on FOX News, was surrounded by controversy, especially due to Donald Trump’s decision to skip the debate for an exclusive pre-recorded interview with former FOX News anchor Tucker Carlson on X (formerly Twitter) on the same night, posing as competition to his own political party’s event. Mediaprobe measured both events to determine if there was a clear winner when it came to audience engagement. And although Trump’s interview outscored the GOP Debate by 19%, the debate still managed to be the most engaging unscripted program in August.
In spite of Trump’s absence, the GOP Debate was highly captivating, even among viewers who don’t identify themselves as Republicans, achieving an EIS of 628. This translates into achieving an emotional impact 59% higher than the norm for unscripted programs in August 2023 and 44% above the average for all TV programs. When compared to Mediaprobe’s US TV Norm for 2023, the First GOP Debate performed 20% better.
Sports Shows: FIFA’s Women’s World Cup Final, FOX
2023 FIFA’s Women’s World Cup was a truly attention-grabbing event across the World, breaking audience records and showing that women’s sports are clearly breaking barriers and becoming a mainstream staple of entertainment. The US kept up with the worldwide trend, and the final game between Spain and England on FOX was the most engaging sports event on US television during August.
Despite the US Women’s National Team, the strong favourites to retain the trophy, being eliminated sooner than expected, Americans still kept focused on the competition, with the final achieving an EIS of 602, a score 24% above the norm for Sports broadcasts during August and 22% higher than the average for all TV broadcasts during that month. The Women’s World Cup Final FOX broadcast also scored 12% above the norm for US television in 2023 in terms of emotional engagement.
If you are interested in discovering the programs that have captivated audiences the most, you can delve into our Emotional Impact Scoreboard. We consistently refresh it on a weekly basis to showcase the latest shows we’ve measured. For more in-depth insights, please feel free to reach out to us.
