Introduction

Stacking is a technique used to develop audience flow by grouping together shows with similar appeals to ‘sweep’ the viewer along from one show to the next.

Stacking is a scheduling strategy.

Background

When a station or network schedules a number of programmes consecutively that have a similar demographic appeal, this is referred to as stacking.

Often, networks will stack a series of sitcoms together, assuming that audience flow will hold viewers for several hours.

Back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s ABC was using this method of stacking for their TGIF lineup, for example. It was a series of funny, light-hearted, comedies that appealed to a large target audience and was very successful lasting for many years.

ABC has pulled this idea back out with their TGIT lineup on Thursday nights with Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder.

The target audience for these drama’s would, generally, be women aged 18 to 49.