Daytime TV Ad Impressions Up in Most Recent iSpot.tv Survey

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(Image credit: iSpot.tv)

With the rate of cord cutting accelerating to record levels, the news for the broadcast networks is not all bad, with daytime TV increasing its growth in ad impressions during the 2022-2023 season, according to a new report from iSpot.tv, which says many networks and advertisers are putting a new emphasis on the genre.

While primetime impressions declined 3% year-over-year from Labor Day 2022 through Memorial Day, 2023 daytime was up more than 1%, but that was fueled partially by growth on broadcast networks where daytime TV ad impressions increased nearly 10% YoY. 

In the season from Labor Day 2022 through Memorial Day 2023, CBS took the top spot in household TV ad impressions (+7.3%), followed by ABC (+15.0%) and NBC (+4.6%) during daytime programming year-over-year, creating more ad reach opportunities, iSpot.tv  said.

(Image credit: iSpot.tv)

Univision's daytime household TV ad impressions climbed over 13% YoY — thanks in part to telenovelas, which more than doubled impressions YoY during the daypart. Cable news saw daytime growth as well, with Fox News (+1.8%), CNN (+4.5%) and MSNBC (+42.3%) delivering more YoY ad impressions — value — during the daypart.

Quiz & giveaway programming saw impressions jump by 8.5% YoY during daytime, buoyed by TV staples like "The Price Is Right" — a capable vehicle for CPG sponsorship. Kids programming, however, delivered 7.3% fewer TV ad impressions in daytime, as part of the genre's ongoing shift toward digital platforms, according to iSpot.tv.

General news & information programs delivered over 15% more household TV ad impressions in daytime YoY — powered in part by increases for cable news networks.

(Image credit: iSpot.tv)

“Let's Make A Deal” delivered over 11% more household TV ad impressions YoY during daytime despite just 16.5 more minutes of advertising during the program, creating significantly more reach without a more crowded field of ads iSpot.tv said.

Soap operas delivered 13% fewer household TV ad impressions YoY in daytime, which is primarily attributable to "Days of Our Lives" heading to Peacock. "The Bold and the Beautiful," meanwhile, delivered 7.6% more impressions YoY. (The short-time future for soaps, however, is precarious given the current writers strike.) 

For talk shows, “The View” took the top spot, increasing its daytime TV ad impressions 9% year over year, and helping to push the daytime talk show genre to grow impressions by 4.3%, which could pique additional brand interest as a buying opportunity for both broad reach and targeted advertising, iSpot said. New episodes of “The Price Is Right” delivered nearly 6% more household TV ad impressions YoY during daytime, despite 2% fewer ad minutes — a sign of increasing audience for particular game shows in the daypart.

In terms of syndication, "Friends" way outpaced all other programming, garnering 21.35% of ad impressions in the genre, growing 2% year over year. The “Dr. Phil” show, now in its final season, was second with 7.4% of daytime TV ad impressions. And even with 25% fewer ad minutes YoY, "Tamron Hall" daytime TV ad impressions still skyrocketed by nearly 3x as it jumped from No. 22 to No. 4 among syndicated shows.

“Good Morning America” leads the weekend daytime ad impressions at 2.48%; in second place is “CBS News Sunday Morning” which increased household TV ad impressions by almost 2%, YoY, despite a similar number of ad airings; representing a “growing reach opportunity for advertisers” according to iSpot.tv. Early college football kickoffs found success for advertisers paying less than primetime rates, as games delivered 13.5% more household TV ad impressions YoY during weekend daytime.

Vitamins, supplements, diet programs and pharmaceuticals are the top daytime advertisers in terms of ad impressions, iSpot.tv said.

The report is available here.   

Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.