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Johannesburg - Soapies rule the small screen in South Africa,
according to research conducted by the South African Audience Research
Foundation.
This genre pulls in an average of 1.8 million free-to-air and pay-TV viewers, with 4 year olds being its youngest loyalists.
The coveted prize for the most beloved soapie unsurprisingly goes to SABC1 favourite Generations, which has held this title for several years.
Educational programmes and drama come in second and third place for free-to-air channels.
However, the most disappointing on the list is sports.
In a country that is sport-mad, with hard-core fanatics, its low position comes as a surprise.
Sport is ranked ninth on free-to-air TV and fifth on pay TV.
Movies come in second place on pay TV, attracting half the number of people that soapies do.
The latest celebrity craze of reality TV shows comes third with drama ranking fourth.
Ostensibly popular magazine programmes like Top Billing and Pasella find themselves at the bottom, proving that not all that glitters is gold or, in this case, popular.
Top genres on free-to-air TV
1. Soapies
2. Educational programmes
3. Drama
4. Movies
5. Actuality
6. News
7. Advertising
8. Reality shows
9. Sport
10. Magazine programmes
Top genres on pay TV
1. Soapies
2. Movies
3. Reality shows
4. Drama
5. Sport
6. Music channels
7. News
8. Actuality shows
9. Educational programmes
10. Variety shows
This genre pulls in an average of 1.8 million free-to-air and pay-TV viewers, with 4 year olds being its youngest loyalists.
The coveted prize for the most beloved soapie unsurprisingly goes to SABC1 favourite Generations, which has held this title for several years.
Educational programmes and drama come in second and third place for free-to-air channels.
However, the most disappointing on the list is sports.
In a country that is sport-mad, with hard-core fanatics, its low position comes as a surprise.
Sport is ranked ninth on free-to-air TV and fifth on pay TV.
Movies come in second place on pay TV, attracting half the number of people that soapies do.
The latest celebrity craze of reality TV shows comes third with drama ranking fourth.
Ostensibly popular magazine programmes like Top Billing and Pasella find themselves at the bottom, proving that not all that glitters is gold or, in this case, popular.
Top genres on free-to-air TV
1. Soapies
2. Educational programmes
3. Drama
4. Movies
5. Actuality
6. News
7. Advertising
8. Reality shows
9. Sport
10. Magazine programmes
Top genres on pay TV
1. Soapies
2. Movies
3. Reality shows
4. Drama
5. Sport
6. Music channels
7. News
8. Actuality shows
9. Educational programmes
10. Variety shows
