|
This summer the broadcast networks threw a slew of reality shows on the air
in hopes that some would stick. Few did. Discriminating viewers sampled the shows once and
clicked away.
Where
did they go?
Off
to cable, and in greater numbers
than ever before. Broadcast’s losses this summer, rather big
losses, have
been cable’s gains.
Cable drew a best-ever 61 household share between May 30
and Aug. 21, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Turner
Broadcasting and released yesterday. That was up 7 percent over last
year's 57. Broadcast sank to a 32 share for
the seven networks, including Pax, down 12 percent from last
year.
It was the biggest summer dropoff since 1997, according to
Turner, and it marks the fifth straight summer that cable has
outdrawn broadcast in households.
Declines were even bigger in key demographics. The six broadcast networks are down 14 percent in 18-49s
this summer and 21 percent among 18-34s, even though ABC
and Fox have remained fairly steady.
At the same time the number of hours viewers spent per
week this summer watching cable has risen to 15.8 from 11.2 five
years ago, up 41 percent, according to Jack Wakshlag, Turner's
chief researcher. By contrast, broadcast viewership has
fallen 23 percent, from 12.4 hours to 9.5 hours.
At least part of this summer's dramatic declines
can be attributed to last summer's Olympic coverage on NBC, which had the effect of boosting
all the broadcast networks. With no Games this summer, viewing was
bound to fall.
But also to blame for the networks' declines were a
higher share of repeats this summer versus last and the flock of
reality shows that sputtered after their debuts.
And as it happens they were airing during a summer
when cable was at its strongest with original programming. Low-quality, lowbrow shows like NBC’s “Meet Mister
Mom” and Fox’s “Princes of Malibu” bombed, while shows like
TNT’s “The Closer” and USA’s “Monk” thrived on
cable.
New shows have done particularly well on cable this summer
among 18-49s. “Closer,” TNT’s “Wanted” and FX’s
“Over There,” have averaged more than 1.5 million in the demo.
Returning shows “Monk” and “The 4400” on USA, FX’s “The
Shield” and “Rescue Me” and Sci Fi’s “Battlestar Galactica”
are all at 1.49 million or above.
Several networks also made big summer gains among
18-49s in primetime, including Spike, up 60 percent, AMC, up 24
percent, and BET, up 23 percent.
But sports also gave cable a big boost this summer, with TNT’s NBA
playoffs and NASCAR racing taking four of the summer’s top five
spots.
Among the broadcast networks this summer, NBC is down the most, falling 42 percent among
18-49s, though if you take out last summer’s Olympic numbers
it’s down 24 percent.
The
broadcast networks have had only two real hits this summer, ABC’s
big breakout “Dancing With the Stars” and Fox’s more minor
success “Hell’s Kitchen.”
|
