A new poll suggests increasing politicization of sports and entertainment television has made viewers less likely to tune in over the past year.
The poll, released Wednesday, was commissioned by the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group, and conducted among 1,000 likely general election voters by the conservative research firm McLaughlin & Associates.
Forty-six percent of respondents said sports and entertainment shows becoming “too political” has made no difference to them, while 44 percent said it’s made them less likely to watch.
Here’s how the question was framed:
The premise that sports and entertainment shows have become “dramatically politicized” is baked into the question, though the reality of that assertion seems hard to deny at this point.
Asked to react to the statement, “When I watch live sports or entertainment shows on television I am trying to get away from politics and do not want to be bombarded with partisan political messages,” 75 percent agreed, with 52 percent agreeing strongly.
Informed this year’s Academy Awards ratings were “historically low,” respondents were asked whether they watched the broadcast. Twenty-seven percent said they never watch the Oscars, and 23 percent said they did watch. Among those who did not watch, 19 percent said it was at least in part because, “I’m tired of these shows being full of political statements” and 11 percent said, “I would have watched but knew some of the presenters and winners would use the time to share their political agenda.”
It’s also fair to wonder whether disgust with Hollywood, brought about by the #MeToo movement, inspired some regular viewers to tune out this year.
The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
Ratings declines throughout the last NFL and awards show seasons come as athletes and celebrities appeared to inject their (mostly liberal) politics into television broadcasts. If it’s true that 75 percent of the country turns to those broadcasts as a form of escapism, free from “[bombardments] of partisan political messages,” both industries should be scrambling to better accommodate their audiences.
