USA just keeps setting new standards on cable.
The network delivered the best-ever second quarter for a basic cable network, outperforming the CW in primetime by large margins, according to ratings released yesterday by Nielsen.
USA averaged a record 3.17 million total viewers in primetime, 77 percent better than the CW, and 1.37 million adults 18-49, 36 percent better than the CW.
The network also finished first among adults 25-54 with 1.47 million. It has now finished first in those demos for 12 straight quarters.
USA received a big boost from the new show “Royal Pains,” the most-watched scripted series during second quarter with an average 2.78 million 18-49s, finishing second behind only ABC in the 10 p.m. Thursday timeslot.
Though USA was well ahead of the competition on most measures, it wasn’t the only network to set second quarter records.
TNT, which finished second behind USA in most major demos, had the best-ever second quarter for basic cable among 18-34s in primetime, averaging 645,000, mostly on the strength of its huge NBA postseason.
Fox News Channel, on pace for its best year ever, placed third to USA and TNT in total viewers and adults 25-54 in primetime, outdelivering the combined cable news competition, CNN and MSNBC.
FNC had the quarter’s top 10 news shows among total viewers, led as usual by “The O’Reilly Factor,” with nearly 3.2 million total viewers.
The most-watched show of the quarter among total viewers overall was TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” which drew 10.656 million viewers last month for the episode in which the Gosselins decided to separate.
The “BET Awards” ranked second with 10.653 million viewers, followed by another episode of “Kate.”
Six NBA postseason games made the top 10 in total viewers.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Total Viewers
Second Quarter 2009
Primetime |
|
Rank
|
Net
|
2Q ‘08
|
2Q ‘09
|
% Change
|
|
1
|
USA
|
3173
|
2748
|
15%
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
2639
|
2437
|
8%
|
|
3
|
FOXN
|
2133
|
1590
|
34%
|
|
4
|
ESPN
|
1712
|
1733
|
-1%
|
|
5
|
NAN
|
1634
|
1714
|
-5%
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
1631
|
1745
|
-7%
|
|
7
|
DISC
|
1353
|
1278
|
6%
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
1298
|
1268
|
2%
|
|
9
|
FX
|
1288
|
1116
|
15%
|
|
10
|
TOON
|
1166
|
1259
|
-7%
|
|
11
|
HIST
|
1156
|
1150
|
1%
|
|
12
|
HGTV
|
1138
|
1098
|
4%
|
|
13
|
FAM
|
1105
|
1147
|
-4%
|
|
14
|
SCIF
|
1102
|
1247
|
-12%
|
|
15
|
LIF
|
1080
|
1508
|
-28%
|
|
16
|
TLC
|
1069
|
852
|
25%
|
|
17
|
FOOD
|
1044
|
873
|
20%
|
|
18
|
TRU
|
1041
|
1045
|
0%
|
|
19
|
AMC
|
1027
|
1024
|
0%
|
|
20
|
SPK
|
1008
|
1388
|
-27%
|
|
21
|
CMDY
|
973
|
1066
|
-9%
|
|
22
|
HALL
|
948
|
1214
|
-22%
|
|
23
|
CNN
|
863
|
961
|
-10%
|
|
24
|
BET
|
859
|
598
|
44%
|
|
25
|
MSNB
|
797
|
691
|
15%
|
|
Total Day
|
|
1
|
NICK
|
2150
|
2197
|
-2%
|
|
2
|
NAN *
|
1539
|
1532
|
0%
|
|
3
|
USA
|
1519
|
1283
|
18%
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
1351
|
1323
|
2%
|
|
5
|
FOXN
|
1164
|
875
|
33%
|
|
5
|
ADSM*
|
1110
|
1052
|
6%
|
|
7
|
TOON
|
978
|
1032
|
-5%
|
|
8
|
TBSC
|
873
|
898
|
-3%
|
|
9
|
ESPN
|
871
|
826
|
5%
|
|
10
|
AEN
|
738
|
742
|
-1%
|
|
11
|
DISC
|
733
|
731
|
0%
|
|
12
|
TRU
|
731
|
687
|
6%
|
|
13
|
HIST
|
684
|
666
|
3%
|
|
14
|
LIF
|
682
|
912
|
-25%
|
|
15
|
FX
|
680
|
640
|
6%
|
|
16
|
FOOD
|
665
|
581
|
14%
|
|
17
|
SPK
|
633
|
698
|
-9%
|
|
18
|
HGTV
|
613
|
593
|
3%
|
|
19
|
FAM
|
603
|
645
|
-7%
|
|
20
|
CNN
|
598
|
556
|
8%
|
|
21
|
AMC
|
570
|
549
|
4%
|
|
22
|
HALL
|
561
|
722
|
-22%
|
|
23
|
CMDY
|
551
|
597
|
-8%
|
|
24
|
TVLD
|
538
|
553
|
-3%
|
|
25
|
TLC
|
513
|
420
|
22%
|
|
Source:
Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Total Viewers
Second Quarter 2009 |
|
Rank
|
Program
|
Net
|
(000)
|
|
1
|
Jon & Kate Plus 8
|
TLC
|
10656
|
|
2
|
BET Awards Show
|
BET
|
10653
|
|
3
|
Jon & Kate Plus 8
|
TLC
|
10605
|
|
4
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
10104
|
|
5
|
Magic/Cavaliers
|
TNT
|
10016
|
|
6
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
9764
|
|
7
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
9257
|
|
8
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
9011
|
|
9
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
8490
|
|
10
|
The Closer
|
TNT
|
8448
|
|
11
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
8394
|
|
12
|
Magic/Celtics
|
TNT
|
8384
|
|
13
|
Nuggets/Lakers
|
ESPN
|
8131
|
|
14
|
Nuggets/Lakers
|
ESPN
|
7908
|
|
15
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
7499
|
|
16
|
Lakers/Rockets
|
ESPN
|
7368
|
|
17
|
Magic/Cavaliers
|
TNT
|
7333
|
|
18
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
7298
|
|
19
|
iCarly Movie:iDate a Bad Boy
|
NICK
|
7172
|
|
20
|
Bulls/Celtics
|
TNT
|
7011
|
|
21
|
Magic/Cavaliers
|
TNT
|
6933
|
|
22
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
6916
|
|
23
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
6856
|
|
24
|
Jon & Kate Plus 8
|
TLC
|
6841
|
|
25
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
6627
|
|
Source:
Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
. |
