The Many Faces of Entertainment – Press Release

Piers Morgan ranks second behind Lineker as most influential name in entertainment

New report reveals mindsets, brands and influencers that drive the UK entertainment and broadcasting industry.

London, 26/09/17: Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan have emerged as the most popular names within the entertainment industry, across influencers, brands, media and organisations, according to a new study by data consultancy Starcount. Following closely behind were Jeremy Clarkson and Simon Cowell, a pattern that shows that, despite attracting controversy in different ways, these celebrities remain extremely popular with the British
public.

The top 10 names were:

1. Gary Lineker
2. Piers Morgan
3. Jeremy Clarkson
4. Simon Cowell
5. James Corden
6. James May
7. Sky Sports
8. Gary Neville
9. Andrew Flintoff
10. John Bishop

These top influencers are all male and the first female influencer to appear in the list is Katie Price in 19th place, whilst Sky Sports is the only brand to appear in the top 10.

The study was conducted across 8 and a half million UK customers, each of whom were segmented into 6 different “mindsets” that reflected their viewing habits:

1. Gamers
2. News Junkies
3. Primetime Petrolheads
4. Reality TV Lovers
5. Sport Fanatics

Those in the Gamers mindset are obsessed with gamified content, be it a mobile app or the latest big budget blockbuster game. The News Junkies compulsively consume current affairs and global goings-on through TV, print and social media. Primetime Petrolheads are 2 obsessed with any kind of TV comedy, but, most importantly, the type associated with automotive shows such as The Grand Tour. Reality TV Lovers devour Love Island, Keeping up with the Kardashians and everything in between, whilst Sports Fanatics won’t miss a single game, match or race, whether that means watching live on TV or keeping up with match tweets online.

The report uncovered that, overall, men formed the majority in every mindset except Reality TV Lovers, where women dominated with 66%.

The report uncovered that, overall, men formed the majority in every mindset except Reality TV Lovers, where women dominated with 66%. However, the largest majorities fell to men in Gamers and Sports Fanatics, with 73% and 69% respectively, whilst women formed a large part of the Primetime Petrolheads, making up 43%.

News Junkies reached number one for fastest growing segment, a point that highlights the impact of the increasingly unstable global political climate.

Clive Humby, Chief Data Scientist at Starcount: “The rise of disruptors like Netflix and Amazon means that traditional screen behaviours are no longer relevant. Modern consumers are much more savvy and less brand loyal. They have higher expectations, are impatient with adverts and, aware of the value of their personal information, are wary of giving anything away for free. Add to that the expanding reach of competitors who are breaking down the usual barriers between TV, films, gaming and all other types of entertainment, and staying one step ahead has become a whole lot harder. Competitive advantage requires strong data insight and this can only be achieved by tapping into new and pioneering data sources that are able to not only relay what your customers want today, but also to predict what they will look for tomorrow.”

Starcount will present the full results of this study at an event in London on 3rd October. The event will feature insights from a range of industry experts, including Sarah Clerkson, Head of Customer Intelligence at Sky; Sanjeevan Bala, Head of Data Science at Channel 4; Hilary Goldsmith, Senior Vice-President for Global Ad Operations at Unruly; and Alison Finnegan, Insight and Marketing Director at Immediate Media.

Additional insights in the report include:

• Sports Fanatics formed the largest share of the overall audience with 48%, but were
  only the third fastest growing segment, at 27%.
• Pets and Animals was the fastest growing passion for Gamers, News Junkies and
  Reality TV Lovers.
• Influencers formed the bulk of star types, consisting of 90% of the overall study.
• Sports stars such as Anthony Joshua, David Haye and Ian Wright were amongst the fastest growing stars for the overall study.
• American Football and Athletics formed the fastest growing passions overall, showing the growth of both sports in the UK market.
• Sports formed a large part of Gamers’ top passions, with American Football at number two, whilst UFC and Martial Arts came in at fourth.

Click here to download The Many Faces of Entertainment whitepaper.