Alas, a perkier
'Miss America' after all
Pageant draws 4.5 million total viewers, up 29 percent
By Toni Fitzgerald
Feb 3, 2010
In the week leading up to the annual "Miss America" pageant, publications from Entertainment Weekly to the Tampa Tribune published obituaries for the once-mighty beauty contest, calling it irrelevant and quaint.
But the pageant may have a faint pulse after all.
In a surprising rebound, "Miss America" actually saw viewership soar this year compared to last, even if that number is less than a seventh of the 33 million who watched the show at its peak.
"Miss America" averaged 4.5 million total viewers on TLC Saturday night at 8 p.m., up 29 percent over the 3.5 million who tuned in last year and the show's best viewership since airing on ABC in 2004.
The pageant had its best performance since moving to cable in 2006 among total viewers, households and adults 25-54.
The reason for the increase seems to be that, after years of sliding viewership and questionable decision-making, the pageant organizers finally made some changes to modernize the show, which had a vague 1980s feel to it, with too much hairspray and too little self-awareness.
The makeover included a "behind the curtains" show with often-catty "What Not to Wear" host Clinton Kelly that gave "Miss America" a needed dose of gossipiness.
Organizers also allowed the preliminary competitions to be televised for the first time in the pageant's nearly 90-year history. Another first: Viewers could text in their votes for who should be a finalist up until three hours before the pageant, the first time the public has weighed in on the decision.
Finally, the "Miss America" gals participated in a pre-pageant reality show, which is a necessity these days for anyone with a modicum of fame. Even Oprah Winfrey announced this week that she'll be filming a reality show about her final season.
All the new touches clearly helped drive viewership, and it will be interesting to see if other pageants pick up on the ideas. Viewership for "Miss USA," "Miss Universe" and others has also declined in recent years.
***
In cable ratings for the week ended Jan. 31:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, ESPN, TBS, TNT, A&E.
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, ESPN, Fox News Channel, TNT, TBS.
Top movie (18-49s): TBS’s “The Longest Yard” (Sunday, 8 p.m.) 1.74 million.
Top sporting event (total viewers): ESPN’s “2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl” (Sunday, 7:22 p.m.) 12.30 million.
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: ESPN’s “2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl” (Sunday, 7:22 p.m.); USA’s “WWE Entertainment” (Monday, 10 p.m.); USA’s “Burn Notice” (Thursday, 10 p.m.).
Show on the rise: ESPN’s “2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl” Sunday 7:22 p.m. The annual all-star game averaged 12.3 million total viewers, the most since it drew 13.2 million viewers on ABC in 2000.
Show on the decline: Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” Tuesday 9 p.m. The reality series averaged 1.25 million viewers 25-54, down 16 percent from 1.48 million the previous week.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending January 31 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
2600
|
NICK
|
1667
|
|
2
|
ESPN
|
2222
|
NAN
*
|
1384
|
|
3
|
FOXN
|
2168
|
USA
|
1241
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
1603
|
FOXN
|
1185
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
1364
|
TNT
|
1112
|
|
6
|
NAN
|
1359
|
ADSM*
|
962
|
|
7
|
AEN
|
1305
|
ESPN
|
897
|
|
8
|
HIST
|
1217
|
TOON
|
842
|
|
9
|
TLC
|
1164
|
TBSC
|
802
|
|
10
|
HGTV
|
1125
|
AEN
|
772
|
|
11
|
TOON
|
1066
|
TRU
|
668
|
|
12
|
LIF
|
990
|
HIST
|
666
|
|
13
|
TRU
|
936
|
LIF
|
652
|
|
14
|
FX
|
918
|
HGTV
|
651
|
|
15
|
SPK
|
864
|
SPK
|
619
|
|
16
|
SYFY
|
857
|
FOOD
|
617
|
|
17
|
FAM
|
850
|
FX
|
573
|
|
18
|
FOOD
|
836
|
DISC
|
549
|
|
19
|
MTV
|
818
|
TLC
|
525
|
|
20
|
DISC
|
814
|
TVLD
|
520
|
|
21
|
CMDY
|
795
|
MTV
|
495
|
|
22
|
HALL
|
761
|
HALL
|
473
|
|
23
|
AMC
|
716
|
CMDY
|
463
|
|
24
|
CNN
|
714
|
CNN
|
448
|
|
25
|
MSNB
|
687
|
SYFY
|
438
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending January 31 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
|
ESPN
|
8123
|
|
2
|
State of the Union Analysis
|
FOXN
|
4749
|
|
3
|
State of the Union Republican Response
|
FOXN
|
4618
|
|
4
|
On The Record with Greta
|
FOXN
|
4225
|
|
5
|
State Of The Union 2010
|
FOXN
|
4086
|
|
6
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
4076
|
|
7
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3947
|
|
8
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
3878
|
|
9
|
State of the Union Analysis
|
FOXN
|
3737
|
|
10
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3587
|
|
11
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
3515
|
|
12
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3500
|
|
13
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
3490
|
|
14
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3396
|
|
15
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3368
|
|
16
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3349
|
|
17
|
Psych
|
USA
|
3238
|
|
18
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3229
|
|
18
|
White Collar
|
USA
|
3229
|
|
20
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3158
|
|
21
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3116
|
|
22
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
3103
|
|
23
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3048
|
|
24
|
Miss America 2010
|
TLC
|
3025
|
|
25
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
3021
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending January 31 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
ESPN
|
736
|
ADSM*
|
508
|
|
2
|
TBSC
|
648
|
NICK
|
350
|
|
3
|
USA
|
648
|
NAN
*
|
346
|
|
4
|
MTV
|
512
|
TBSC
|
340
|
|
5
|
TLC
|
402
|
ESPN
|
336
|
|
6
|
FX
|
395
|
USA
|
300
|
|
7
|
TNT
|
383
|
MTV
|
288
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
372
|
TNT
|
260
|
|
9
|
HIST
|
340
|
FX
|
238
|
|
10
|
FAM
|
317
|
TOON
|
208
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending January 31 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
|
ESPN
|
2678
|
|
2
|
Teen Mom
|
MTV
|
2173
|
|
3
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1639
|
|
4
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1533
|
|
5
|
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
|
EN
|
1505
|
|
6
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
1329
|
|
7
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1245
|
|
8
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
1245
|
|
9
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1233
|
|
10
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1226
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending January 31 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1438
|
ADSM*
|
679
|
|
2
|
ESPN
|
1434
|
USA
|
664
|
|
3
|
TBSC
|
1145
|
TBSC
|
637
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
880
|
NAN
*
|
628
|
|
5
|
AEN
|
838
|
TNT
|
623
|
|
6
|
HIST
|
798
|
ESPN
|
601
|
|
7
|
TLC
|
771
|
NICK
|
576
|
|
8
|
FX
|
724
|
AEN
|
473
|
|
9
|
MTV
|
651
|
FX
|
429
|
|
10
|
TRU
|
638
|
HIST
|
420
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending January 31 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
|
ESPN
|
5582
|
|
2
|
Teen Mom
|
MTV
|
2653
|
|
3
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
2615
|
|
4
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2602
|
|
5
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
2524
|
|
6
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2425
|
|
7
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
2351
|
|
8
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
2131
|
|
9
|
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
|
EN
|
2099
|
|
10
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
2007
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending January 31 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1559
|
USA
|
694
|
|
2
|
ESPN
|
1448
|
TNT
|
669
|
|
3
|
TBSC
|
969
|
ESPN
|
553
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
950
|
TBSC
|
551
|
|
5
|
AEN
|
886
|
NAN
*
|
524
|
|
6
|
HIST
|
847
|
AEN
|
498
|
|
7
|
FOXN
|
796
|
NICK
|
462
|
|
8
|
TLC
|
731
|
TRU
|
445
|
|
9
|
TRU
|
662
|
ADSM*
|
439
|
|
10
|
HGTV
|
635
|
HIST
|
437
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending January 31 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
2010 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
|
ESPN
|
5806
|
|
2
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2622
|
|
3
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
2611
|
|
4
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
2439
|
|
5
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2429
|
|
6
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
2408
|
|
7
|
State of the Union Analysis
|
FOXN
|
2183
|
|
8
|
State of the Union Republican Response
|
FOXN
|
2036
|
|
9
|
Psych
|
USA
|
1990
|
|
10
|
On The Record with Greta
|
FOXN
|
1966
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
|
|
