EDO, the TV outcomes company, released today a ranking of the most effective primetime programs of 2023 across English- and Spanish-language media. The company analyzed hundreds of first-run broadcast and cable programs across more than 120 networks to identify which premium content drove the greatest behavioral outcomes last year — such as search activity — which are highly predictive of future sales.
“The combined power of strong creative execution and compelling programming drives exceptional outcomes for advertisers, according to our data,” said Scott Grunther, Head of Media Partnerships at EDO. “The top-ranking programs represent the year’s most engaging premium content across broadcast and cable, offering a glimpse into 2023’s American TV zeitgeist.”
TOP BROADCAST PRIMETIME PROGRAMS OF 2023*
- Baking It, NBC, +39% more effective at driving engagement, as compared to the average broadcast primetime program
- Crime Scene Kitchen, FOX, +38%
- The Prank Panel, ABC, +34%
- Celebrity Family Feud, ABC, +33%
- LA Fire & Rescue, NBC, +32%
- The Golden Bachelor, ABC, +29%
- The Amazing Race, CBS,+ 27%
- Barons, CW, +24%
- Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, NBC, +23%
- Yellowstone, CBS, +22%
*As compared to the average English-language broadcast primetime program performance this year.
TOP CABLE PRIMETIME PROGRAMS OF 2023**
- Lil Jon Wants to Do What?, HGTV, +103% more effective at driving engagement, as compared to the average primetime cable program
- Windy City Rehab: Alison's Dream Home, HGTV, +94%
- Dave, FXX, +86%
- Good Trouble, Freeform, +76%
- When Sharks Attack... And Why: Extra Bite, National Geographic, +73%
- 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story, Paramount Network, +71%
- Grown & Gospel, WEtv, +70%
- Secrets of Penthouse, A&E, +69%
- Naked and Afraid, Viceland, +66%
- When Calls the Heart, Hallmark, +65%
**As compared to the average English-language broadcast primetime program performance this year.
Key trends from the top English-language programming of the year include:
- Variety wins. The top 10 primetime broadcast programs accounted for six different genres, including comedy & variety, drama, documentary, and game shows. Meanwhile, reality and drama programs accounted for six of the top 10 primetime cable programs.
- Consumers search for something sweet. Baking It (NBC) claimed first place in EDO’s primetime broadcast ranking. Viewers were 40% more likely to engage with the brands advertised during the program. Crime Scene Kitchen (FOX) was close behind in second place, at 38% more effective.
- Keeping it real. Lil Jon Wants to Do What? (HGTV) earned the top cable primetime spot, with viewers 103% more likely to engage with the brands advertised during the show as compared to the average cable primetime program. Programming with authentic characters in home renovation settings performed well, with Windy City Rehab: Alison’s Dream Home (HGTV) coming in second.
- ABC strikes gold with The Bachelor franchise addition. ABC’s first-ever Golden Bachelor was the sixth most effective primetime broadcast program in 2023. The Golden Bachelor was 29% more effective at driving engagement than the average broadcast primetime program. While not in the top 10, Bachelor in Paradise (+18%), The Bachelor (+17%), and The Bachelorette (+13%) also outperformed the 2023 average.
- The Yellowstone universe. Yellowstone (CBS) and 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story (Paramount Network) emerged as two of the most effective programs for advertisers. The success is echoed in ratings for Yellowstone after its first season, broadcast on CBS last September, drew 6.8 million viewers and scored a 0.67 rating in the key broadcast demographic among adults 18-49, according to Nielsen.
EDO also analyzed the most engaging programs across Spanish-language TV (SLTV) in 2023. Ads that ran on SLTV in 2023 were 29% more effective at driving ad engagement than 2022, and 34% more effective than 2021, indicating that the Spanish-language media environment is making double-digit gains in ad effectiveness annually.
TOP SPANISH-LANGUAGE PROGRAMS OF 2023***
- Día del Juicio Final: Niños desaparecidos, Discovery en Español, +50%
- La Casa del Mal, Discovery en Español, +37%
- Como dice el Dicho, UniMás, +36%
- Batalla de Vecinos, Discovery en Español, +31%
- Enamorándonos: La Isla, UniMás, +30%
- Supervivencia al Desnudo: Bajo Cero, Discovery en Español, +27%
- Tierra de Esperanza, Univision, +24%
- ¿Es Neta, Eva?, Univision, +20%
- El Amor Invencible, Univision, +19%
- Los 50, Telemundo, +16%
***As compared to the average Spanish-language primetime program performance this year.
Grunther continued, “The seismic growth of Spanish-speaking audiences has presented a tremendous opportunity for advertisers on Spanish-language networks such as Univision, Telemundo, or Discovery en Español. As brands’ ad investment in media tailored to Hispanic audiences increases, we expect to see a continued climb in ad engagement.”
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Methodology:
Data in this report corresponds with EDO’s proprietary engagement rate metric, which measures how likely consumers are to engage with a TV ad after exposure and normalizes audience size, program duration, and ad duration to enable direct comparisons in engagement among programs. Top programs were measured from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
EDO’s expansive database captures every historical, in-market, and future campaign, enabling competitive benchmarks and views by network, program, daypart, creative, duration, and more. At EDO, we validate savvy media buying and effective messaging with the market’s most trustworthy predictive outcomes data.