Case Study: Showtime Networks uncovers viewer motivations and creates five personas with iModerate

Showtime wanted to go beyond the metrics to understand viewers’ motivations for watching Nurse Jackie through different viewing platforms

Showtime, the premium cable network, wanted to move beyond raw viewing metrics to understand why audiences chose different platforms for watching its hit series Nurse Jackie. Although Showtime had extensive subscription and frequency data, it needed exploratory insight into platform preferences (live, DVR, On‑Demand) and the motivations driving those choices to better target communications and programming.

iModerate (a division of 20/20 Research) ran a hybrid qualitative–quantitative study, conducting in‑depth conversations with 100 Nurse Jackie viewers across four waves over four weeks to surface motivations behind platform behavior. The research revealed that while most fans prefer the live Monday premiere, practical constraints lead them to rely on DVR and On‑Demand; iModerate synthesized findings into five viewer personas (including “Combination Viewers”) that gave Showtime actionable emotional insights to refine On‑Demand communications and guide future online platform strategies.

Showtime Networks