Do politics play a role in TV viewing? 
Yes and no, according to Nielsen IAG, which recently released data showing which cable programs are most “engaging” among self-identified Democrats and Republicans.
“Engagement” refers to the amount of attention paid to a television program by the average viewer.  Nielsen measures TV engagement by questioning a representative panel of viewers about their recall of specific telecasts’ content.
Nielsen’s analysis found that the cable programs that received the highest overall engagement scores — meaning viewers were most engaged in the shows’ content — also received the most bipartisan support, …

Game seven of the closely contested American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays drew the largest ever TV audience of any MLB playoff game aired on cable, Nielsen reported Tuesday.  
The game, which aired on TBS Sunday night, drew almost 13.4 million average viewers, easily surpassing game four of last year’s Indians v. Yankees division series, which claimed second place overall with 9.2 million average viewers.
TV viewership of the ALCS games surged after the Red Sox overcame a seven-run deficit in game five to beat the …

Despite higher prices for candy and costume accessories this year, U.S. consumers are expected to purchase more than $1.9 billion in candy for Halloween, Nielsen reported Tuesday.
Costume hair coloring products showed the largest price increase — up 126% to an average of $4.42 this year.  On average, candy prices are up 2.9% this year, with chocolate candy prices up an average of 4.2%.
Despite that price hike, chocolate candy is expected to account for $1.2 billion of Halloween candy sales, while non-chocolate candy will account for nearly $672 million, according to Nielsen. 

Online buzz surrounding Senators Barack Obama and John McCain remained strong during the three presidential debates in September and October, but voters’ engagement in the debate TV broadcasts declined significantly after the first debate, according to an analysis released Tuesday by Nielsen IAG and Nielsen Online.
“Engagement” refers to the amount of attention paid to a television program by the average viewer.  Nielsen measures TV engagement by questioning a representative panel of viewers about their recall of specific telecasts’ content.
Online consumer discussion of both candidates spiked before and after each of the four …

Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, and Gucci are the most popular luxury brands among United Arab Emirates shoppers, according to Nielsen survey results released Monday.
Three out of five UAE consumers have shopped at Calvin Klein and Christian Dior, while one in three have shopped at Gucci, Nielsen reported. 
Globally, UAE shoppers ranked as the second biggest purchasers of Gucci (31%) and Chanel (21%), and third in terms of purchases of Giorgio Armani (19%). 
If money were no object, UAE survey respondents named Chanel and Louis Vuitton as the most coveted luxury brands.

Mark Wahlberg’s action thriller “Max Payne,” a movie based on the popular video game, grabbed the top weekend box office spot with an $18M take. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” fell to second place with $11.2M after spending its first two weeks at the top of the pack. “The Secret Life Of Bees,” which featured music and screen star power from Queen Latifah, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and Dakota Fanning, finished third ahead of “W.” the bio pic of Bush 43 from Oliver Stone. The industry’s $103 million in collective grosses …

With the presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama touting record political contributions for the month of September, Nielsen Claritas has taken a look at the source of Sen. Obama’s and Sen. McCain contributions through the lens of lifestyle attributes and socio-economic data, such as income, age, occupation, education, and household composition.
Nielsen Claritas’s PRIZM system breaks down the U.S. population into 66 segments based on these attributes. 
Obama leads McCain in dollars and the number of donations received from the 10 PRIZM segments of the U.S. population that have made the most political contributions through …

The global economic crisis reached a boiling point in October, but Americans are staying calm and cool, according to the results of a consumer sentiment study by Nielsen Claritas.
Of 3,000 people surveyed by Nielsen in early October, 84% reported being just as confident — or more so — in their primary financial institution as they were six months ago.  Ninety-five percent of those surveyed said they consider their financial assets at their primary bank to be relatively safe.
Although they remain confident in their personal banks, a significant percentage of the respondents said they had already …

When it comes to entertainment consumption, all U.S. cities are not created equal.
Take Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco – five of 21 cities that are home to some of the nation’s most voracious media consumers.  According to a study of entertainment consumption in 65 major U.S. cities, released Monday by Nielsen PreView, residents of these cities love opening weekend movie-going, rock concerts, reality TV, and newspapers.
In contrast, residents of Bakersfield (California), El Paso, Flint/Saginaw/Bay City (Michigan), Memphis, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, and San Antonio have one-track entertainment minds: …

Baseball fans across the country might have been a little sleepy Friday morning after watching the Boston Red Sox’ late-night comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the MLB American League championship Series.
The game, in which the Red Sox trailed the Rays by seven runs as late as the seventh inning, was a rollercoaster ride for both teams’ fans — as reflected in the preliminary metered market TV ratings, released by Nielsen on Friday.
At the close of the game’s first hour, one-quarter of all Boston households were watching, …