medialifemagazine.com
Cable's play: Escape from Super Bowl
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jan 30, 2008 - 1:15:31 AM
Over the years, the broadcast networks have pretty much given up trying to counter-program against the Super Bowl. Most air repeats or rerun theatrical movies.
But on cable, big game counter-programming is rampant this year, and not just among networks that target women. Even Spike and Speed, two male-skewing channels, have specials set for Sunday evening.
The reason is that, unlike broadcast, cable actually stands a chance of drawing a decent crowd that night.
“Cable networks are more branded and more targeted,” notes Lifetime executive vice president of research Mike Greco.
“It’s easier to know if I’m a woman, I want to watch Lifetime because I don’t want to watch sports, versus knowing the different scheduling that might be taking place on ABC or one of the competing broadcast networks.”
Both Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network will air 10 hours worth of original and theatrical movies opposite the game, aiming to woo women 18-49 and 25-54 who are not football fans.
“A little more than a third of women 18-49 watching TV [that night] are not watching the Super Bowl,” points out Greco.
But there’s room to draw men to cable, too, even those who are watching the game. Many click away at halftime or if the second half turns into a blowout, points out Speed vice president of scheduling and research Paul Duong, whose network is running counter-programming for the second year.
“Sometimes when you’re watching the Super Bowl there is a lull in the action,” Duong says. “We feel, particularly with men 18-34 who may not be so traditional in their TV viewing, they don’t need to watch every single minute of the Super Bowl.”
Speed will air three mini-marathons of five to seven episodes Sunday, featuring the lawnmower racing series “Lucas Oil on the Edge,” monster truck series “Monster Jams” and drag racing series “PINKS All Out.”
Spike, which also targets men, plans a halftime special called “MLE Chowdown Championship: Ham N’ Egg,” in which contestants will try to break world records for hard-boiled egg and spiral ham eating.
For those who prefer their counter-programming less greasy but just as gluttonous, “Food Network Challenge” follows a wedding cake cookoff for six hours starting at 3 p.m.
There’s something for just about every taste airing opposite the Super Bowl. Animal Planet airs its fourth annual Puppy Bowl, a coronation of cute furballs, starting at 3 p.m.
TNT has a 12-hour marathon of “The Closer” starting at noon, while sister network TBS will air six chick flicks like “The Wedding Planner” and “Fools Rush In” in a marathon called “What Women Want.”
African-American-focused TV One is courting women with the special “Essence Magazine Presents: Will You Marry Me” at 8 p.m. and the Whoopi Goldberg film “Made in America” at 9 p.m.
Also targeting women, TLC is reairing the “Miss America Pageant” with added commentary from contestants and judges running on a scroll, while Hallmark Channel has a day-long “Murder She Wrote” marathon and WE has five hours of “Rich Bride, Poor Bride” starting at 4 p.m.
Oxygen, another women’s network, plans a sneak peek at its new reality series “Deion & Pilar: Primetime of Love” at halftime of the game. The show focuses on former NFL all-star Deion Sanders, wife Pilar and their five kids.
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TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending January 27 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
2277
|
NICK
|
1705
|
|
2
|
TBSC
|
1633
|
NAN
*
|
1155
|
|
3
|
TNT
|
1468
|
USA
|
1142
|
|
4
|
HIST
|
1404
|
TNT
|
969
|
|
5
|
FOXN
|
1332
|
TBSC
|
939
|
|
6
|
NAN
|
1259
|
TOON
|
835
|
|
7
|
CNN
|
1228
|
FOXN
|
832
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
1167
|
HIST
|
779
|
|
9
|
FX
|
1161
|
AEN
|
778
|
|
10
|
HALL
|
1148
|
LIF
|
758
|
|
11
|
LIF
|
1072
|
TRU
|
691
|
|
12
|
TRU
|
1059
|
ADSM*
|
690
|
|
13
|
SPK
|
1002
|
HALL
|
644
|
|
14
|
AMC
|
980
|
FX
|
628
|
|
15
|
ESPN
|
973
|
HGTV
|
618
|
|
16
|
HGTV
|
957
|
CNN
|
612
|
|
17
|
CMDY
|
936
|
TVLD
|
592
|
|
18
|
TOON
|
905
|
DISC
|
572
|
|
19
|
DISC
|
897
|
CMDY
|
570
|
|
20
|
SCIF
|
889
|
ESPN
|
566
|
|
21
|
MTV
|
823
|
MTV
|
565
|
|
22
|
TLC
|
808
|
SPK
|
565
|
|
23
|
VH1
|
745
|
AMC
|
561
|
|
24
|
BRAV
|
676
|
FOOD
|
531
|
|
25
|
BRAV
|
654
|
SCIF
|
438
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research.
|
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending January 27 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
Zoey 101
|
NICK
|
4139
|
|
2
|
Zoey 101
|
NICK
|
3973
|
|
3
|
Monk
|
USA
|
3861
|
|
4
|
Life After People
|
HIST
|
3713
|
|
5
|
SR/SC Democratic Debate
|
CNN
|
3561
|
|
6
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3407
|
|
7
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3395
|
|
8
|
Psych
|
USA
|
3266
|
|
9
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3105
|
|
10
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3082
|
|
11
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2914
|
|
12
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2850
|
|
13
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2847
|
|
14
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2785
|
|
15
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2738
|
|
16
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2719
|
|
17
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2696
|
|
18
|
Anderson
Cooper 360
|
CNN
|
2649
|
|
19
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2624
|
|
20
|
NBB Movie The Sidekicks
|
NICK
|
2604
|
|
21
|
The Longest Yard (2005)
|
TBSC
|
2548
|
|
22
|
Law & Order: SVU
|
USA
|
2544
|
|
23
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2535
|
|
24
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2465
|
|
25
|
Law & Order: SVU
|
USA
|
2438
|
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research.
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending January 27 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
TBSC
|
803
|
TBSC
|
411
|
|
2
|
USA
|
570
|
NICK
|
358
|
|
3
|
CMDY
|
531
|
NAN
*
|
356
|
|
4
|
MTV
|
489
|
ADSM*
|
326
|
|
5
|
FX
|
487
|
CMDY
|
312
|
|
6
|
VH1
|
421
|
USA
|
302
|
|
7
|
TNT
|
404
|
MTV
|
293
|
|
8
|
ESPN
|
396
|
FX
|
272
|
|
9
|
AEN
|
362
|
TNT
|
264
|
|
10
|
HIST
|
362
|
ESPN
|
249
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research.
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending January 27 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1498
|
|
2
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1472
|
|
3
|
Dane Cook: Vicious Circle
|
CMDY
|
1468
|
|
4
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1396
|
|
5
|
RW/RR Guantlet 3
|
MTV
|
1383
|
|
6
|
The Longest Yard (2005)
|
TBSC
|
1367
|
|
7
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1348
|
|
8
|
Life After People
|
HIST
|
1331
|
