The Beijing Olympics managed to woo some viewers away from cable, with aggregate ratings falling some 15 percent for ad-supported cable during the first week of the Games compared with the previous weeks.
But for the full summer it looks as though cable will once again finish ahead.
For at least the fifth straight year, cable will set a record for its most-watched summer among total viewers and adults 18-49, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Turner Networks.
And for once it’s not necessarily a case of stealing them from broadcast. The broadcast networks were up too over last year, driven by the Olympics.
Summer to date, from May 26 to Aug. 17, the most recent numbers available, ad-supported cable has upped its total viewers in primetime by 1 percent, or 451,000 viewers, to a record 50.96 million.
Among adults 18-49, it’s up 1 percent, or 194,000 viewers, to a record 21.76 million. Since 2004, it has risen 12 percent, from 19.36 million.
Driving the jumps is once again a broad group of dramas and reality shows, both new and returning, that have put up big numbers this summer. Lifetime’s “Army Wives,” for example, the No. 5 returning show on cable, is up 13 percent season to date among adults 18-49.
And USA’s “Burn Notice” has risen 26 percent among total viewers, passing USA’s “Monk” and TNT’s “Saving Grace” for No. 2 this year.
Five of summer’s top 10 returning programs among total viewers are up compared to last year, one is flat, and three have declined 6 percent or less.
Among adults 18-49, six returning shows are up this summer, four of them by double-digit percentages, including MTV’s veteran “The Real World,” now in its 20th season.
Two new summer shows have actually seen triple-digit increases over the same timeslots last season among both total viewers and 18-49s, ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of The American Teenager” and VH1’s “New York Goes to Hollywood.”
***
Meanwhile, in other cable ratings for the week ended Aug. 24:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, ESPN, TBS, TNT, A&E.
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, TNT, ESPN, Fox News Channel, TBS.
Top movie (18-49s): TNT’s “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (Sunday, 8 p.m.) 2.04 million.
Top sporting event (total viewers): ESPN’s “NASCAR Sprint Cup” (Sunday, 8 p.m.) 5.00 million.
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: USA’s “WWE Entertainment” (Monday, 9 and 10 p.m.); Bravo’s “Project Runway” (Wednesday, 9 p.m.).
Show on the rise: Disney Channel’s “The Cheetah Girls: One World,” Friday 8 p.m. Even up against the Olympics the movie attracted 6.2 million total viewers, up 55 percent versus the year-ago time period. The film also attracted 2.8 million kids 6-11 and 2.4 million 9-14s, the top telecast of the day on any network in those demos.
Show on the decline: Sci Fi Channel’s “Ghost Hunters International,” Wednesday 9 p.m. The series attracted 1.17 million viewers 25-54, off 16 percent from 1.39 million the previous week.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending August 24 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
2145
|
NICK
|
1744
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
1689
|
NAN
*
|
1232
|
|
3
|
ESPN
|
1529
|
USA
|
1076
|
|
4
|
FOXN
|
1323
|
TOON
|
987
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
1265
|
TNT
|
965
|
|
6
|
NAN
|
1123
|
ADSM*
|
942
|
|
7
|
LIF
|
1078
|
FOXN
|
862
|
|
8
|
TOON
|
1070
|
LIF
|
708
|
|
9
|
AEN
|
952
|
TBSC
|
703
|
|
10
|
SCIF
|
949
|
ESPN
|
612
|
|
11
|
HALL
|
903
|
AEN
|
556
|
|
12
|
HGTV
|
859
|
CNN
|
550
|
|
13
|
FAM
|
855
|
HALL
|
527
|
|
14
|
CNN
|
825
|
FAM
|
512
|
|
15
|
SPK
|
734
|
HGTV
|
505
|
|
16
|
HIST
|
723
|
TVLD
|
503
|
|
17
|
TRU
|
715
|
TRU
|
495
|
|
18
|
CMDY
|
668
|
FX
|
462
|
|
19
|
FX
|
664
|
HIST
|
459
|
|
20
|
DISC
|
661
|
SPK
|
459
|
|
21
|
MTV
|
652
|
MSNB
|
450
|
|
22
|
TVLD
|
630
|
DISC
|
435
|
|
23
|
TLC
|
612
|
SCIF
|
434
|
|
24
|
BRAV
|
594
|
FOOD
|
429
|
|
25
|
AMC
|
581
|
CMDY
|
425
|
|
* 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 August 24 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
The Closer
|
TNT
|
4821
|
|
2
|
Law & Order: CI (Orig)
|
USA
|
3702
|
|
3
|
NASCAR Sprint Cup
|
ESPN
|
3357
|
|
4
|
Monk
|
USA
|
3313
|
|
5
|
Spongebob The Movie
|
NICK
|
3299
|
|
6
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3231
|
|
7
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3137
|
|
8
|
Saving Grace
|
TNT
|
2924
|
|
9
|
Psych
|
USA
|
2852
|
|
10
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2825
|
|
11
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2822
|
|
12
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
2795
|
|
13
|
Browns/Giants
|
ESPN
|
2793
|
|
14
|
The Hills
|
MTV
|
2762
|
|
15
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2685
|
|
16
|
Secret Life/American Teen
|
FAM
|
2666
|
|
17
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2656
|
|
18
|
Summer Olympics 1
|
USA
|
2632
|
|
19
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2606
|
|
20
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2546
|
|
21
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2533
|
|
22
|
Project Runway
|
BRAV
|
2529
|
|
23
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2493
|
|
24
|
Back At The Barnyard
|
NICK
|
2479
|
|
25
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2465
|
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research.
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