Between local watch parties for new episodes and all of your Facebook friends changing their profile picture to them sitting in the “Iron Throne” during SXSW, it’s pretty clear Austinites really love “Game of Thrones.” Now there’s data to back it up and even reveal what other TV shows locals are (or aren’t) “liking.”
The New York Times took the top 50 most-“liked” TV shows on Facebook and mapped their popularity by ZIP code. Less popular shows in a particular area are colored in white and those that were more popular are shaded in a deep purple, with the spectrum including shades of cream, soft pink and light purple. Beyond presenting which shows are “liked” where, the maps also display how TV preferences can correlate with political ones.
Austin residents are “above average” fans of the HBO show “Game of Thrones,” ABC sitcom “Modern Family” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” In fact, all three of those shows being more popular here follows the national trend of their favorability in urban, liberal-leaning cities.
The Times even singled out Austin on one of its maps, highlighting the Texas capital’s appreciation for the FX show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The map notes the show’s popularity is higher in college towns.
Austin follows some other interesting trends, such as shows like “Duck Dynasty” being less popular in urban areas than the rest rural Texas. The A&E show is one of the three examples listed in the results for the city’s “below average” fans. The others include “NCIS” on CBS and NBC’s “The Voice,” all of which are most common to watch in rural areas.
Other shows which perform in the “less popular” end of the spectrum in Austin include CBS’ “Criminal Minds” and MTV’s “Teen Mom.” On the flipside, “Saturday Night Live,” and Comedy Central’s “Tosh.o” point Central Texas toward the “more popular” extreme.
Check out the whole collection of maps at the Times website.
