News that Republican lightning rod Sarah Palin is interested in presiding over a Fall 2017 daytime court show has taken many by surprise. A closer look, however, may explain why this controversial move actually makes sense for the former Alaska governor.
Financial considerations notwithstanding, court is the only genre in strip syndication—whether that’s talk, game, magazines or off-net sitcoms—to show across-the-board growth. Ten out of the eleven shows are experiencing either year-to-year increases or steady ratings across all demographics. According to Nielsen Media Research, CBS’ Judge Judy — syndication’s leading first-run strip — is averaging a 7.3 season-to-date household rating and 10.3 million viewers. CBS’ “Hot Bench” has increased 46% in overall viewership to 3.3 million; Entertainment Studios’ “ES Court Combo” added 23% to 2.7 million; Warner Bros. “People’s Court” improved 6% to 2.5 million; and WB’s “Judge Mathis” is up 7% to 2.1 million.
“In most cases, the court shows have been consistently in the same time periods for years and they’ve sort of replaced soap operas, which were the dominant genre in daytime,” says Bill Carroll, senior VP, content strategy, Katz Television Group.
In fact, Entertainment Studios’ Justice Central block —which includes America’s Court With Judge Ross, Justice for All With Judge Cristina Perez, Justice With Judge Mablean and Supreme Justice With Judge Karen—is up in households (with a cumulative 2.0), remains steady among women 25-54, and has a consistent top twenty-five ranking.
Although Palin has never been a judge, a practicing lawyer, or even attended law school, none of these factors appear to be slowing her down. The former Fox News commentator is reportedly taking meetings at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas next week in search of a deal. And who knows, she just might strike gold. As one potential buyer put it: “If I buy it and it works, I’m a genius, and if it fails, I’m an idiot. But that’s the case with any new show.”
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