With cable upfront presentations continuing this month, Media Life will carry a series of network profiles with information important to media buyers and planners heading into negotiations. This is the 17th in the series. Previous articles can be found in the Cable Department.
TBS hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with some of its original series, including the returning “My Boys.”
But it almost doesn’t have to. As it goes into the upfront market, the No. 1 network in 18-34s has something that does as well or better. That's its slew of reruns of ongoing top network series like Fox’s “Family Guy” and NBC’s “The Office” and “My Name is Earl.”
These shows do so well in the ratings that it takes much of the pressure off the network when it comes to original series. They can be modest successes and still bring value to the network.
TBS' strongest original series, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne," has done well in overall ratings but among African-American households it has excelled, ranking behind only "American Idol" when it premiered in second quarter last year.
Together, the fresh reruns and new shows are driving TBS's growth.
“Half of our growth has been fueled by new shows and about half is from acquired shows,” says Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks.
The network’s identity
TBS rebranded as a comedy network in 2004, much as its sister network TNT had done in 2001 when it became a drama network.
There were some doubters at the time. With so much comedy already on cable, and all over the dial, could TBS nail it down as a unique brand?
It turned out to be a smart move, and the timing could not have been better. It's enabled the network to attract hard-to-reach young adults in great numbers at a time when the broadcast networks are struggling to find fresh comedies that will resonate with audiences.
Media buyers like the rebranded network because of its fast growth and because they know exactly what they’re getting: comedy and the audiences that go with it.
The network’s target audience
TBS zeroes in on the younger set, primarily 18-34s, but it also targets 18-49s. The median age of its audience is 33 years old.
“They’ve done a really good job of lowering their median age,” says Susan McClellan, senior national broadcast buying strategist at Empower MediaMarketing. “It works for them because it’s a good companion for TNT, which tends to skew a little bit older.”
The network’s ratings
TBS saw its primetime audience in 2007 increase 12 percent over 2006, ranking No. 4 behind USA, TNT and ESPN.
Its audience continued growing in first quarter, up 18 percent over the year-earlier period, ranking No. 3 with 1.99 million viewers.
It was up 34 percent in 18-34s and 19 percent in 18-49s, ranking No. 2 in that demographic behind only USA.
The network’s competitive set
Like TNT and USA, TBS’s audience is growing fast and may soon be rivaling the audience for the fifth-largest English-language broadcast network, the CW.
But for now its main competitors are other cable networks loaded up with comedies, including Comedy Central and Nick at Nite.
What’s new for 2008/09
TBS hasn’t announced any new original comedies, although it may at its upfront presentation tomorrow. But it has renewed four of its originals, including “My Boys,” which returns for its second season on June 12, and “Frank TV,” its late-night show with impersonator Frank Caliendo.
“Payne,” one of cable's top comedies, returns on June 4 with new episodes that are part of a virtually unprecedented 100-episode order TBS began last June.
It’s continuing with reruns of ongoing network sitcoms such as “Earl,” as well as older shows like “Seinfeld” and “Friends.”
One focus for TBS is building up its late-night ratings with “Frank TV” and “10 Items or Less,” the free-form sitcom.
“We think late night is a golden opportunity,” says Koonin. “Right now, the two biggest stars in late night are in their 60s."
The network’s upfront outlook
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent: 4.5
TBS is a top-rated network among young adults, a demographic that's comparatively hard for media buyers to reach on broadcast TV. While it's yet to develop a signature hit of the sort cable networks seek, TBS is seeing impressive growth through its mix of originals and network repeats.
|
A LOOK AT TBS
Launched in 1976 (rebranded in 2004) |
|
Parent Company |
Turner Broadcasting |
|
No. of subscribers |
97 million |
|
Median viewer age |
33 years old |
|
Average primetime viewers |
1,990,000 |
|
Average total-day viewers |
1,034,000 |
|
Avg. primetime 18-34 viewers |
701,000 |
|
Avg. total-day 18-34 viewers |
352,000 |
|
Target audience |
Adults 18-34, Adults 18-49 |
|
Main Competitors |
TBS competes with the broadcast networks’ comedies and other top-rated cable networks, including USA, Comedy Central, MTV and Nick at Nite. |
|
Upfront presentation |
May 14 in New York |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research, 1st Qtr. 2008 |
Links to past upfront stories
TNT
A&E
Nick at Nite
Discovery
Animal Planet
Food Network
Spike
Lifetime
USA
G4
HGTV
DIY
Hallmark
truTV
FX
AMC
