In recent years it's become pretty common for networks to make the pilot episode of a new show available online days or even weeks before its television debut.
The idea is to build buzz for the program ahead of time. But of course it can backfire, turning off potential viewers if they don't like what they see.
So far, there hasn't been much evidence that this strategy works one way or the other. There just aren't that many solid numbers about how many people have watched web previews and then returned to become regular viewers once the showed debuted on TV.
But come next week we may get a better sense of whether it works or not.
For the new "Battlestar Galactica" prequel "Caprica," Syfy has actually quantified how many viewers watched all or part of the pilot online, on DVD or at film festivals.
According to the network, some 1.5 million thus far have seen the show, which debuts Friday. Syfy has been promoting "Caprica" since the finale of "Battlestar" last year.
In addition to pushing folks to catch episodes on online, it has been promoting episode two, clearly hoping to hook those who have watched online to return once the series airs on TV to catch up on the storyline.
So "Caprica" could well grow in episode two as those initial web viewers return.
Or it could not if in fact those web viewers were turned off by episode one and decided to take a pass. Again, that's always the risk.
Still, it's hard to argue with the strategy, even with the risks.
If you don't do it, there's always the chance that the show will get an immense debut and then see a huge falloff in week two, like ABC's much-promoted "V" last fall, making the show look like an even greater disappointment.
And there's some evidence that whetting people's appetites with an early preview works, at least when the whetting is on TV. Last year Fox aired the pilot episode of "Glee" in May, behind "American Idol," four months before the show's official premiere.
Though "Glee" did not get a humongous tune-in for that episode, it held the bulk of its audience in September when it formally debuted. Fox did a good job targeting the show at music lovers, and their interest held over those months, which helped to build buzz.
Syfy has particularly targeted "Caprica" at young Hispanic viewers, airing commercials for the show on sister networks Mun2 and Telemundo and planning to reair the pilot on the former later this month.
***
In cable ratings for the week ended Jan. 17:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, TNT, TBS, FX, A&E.
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, Fox News Channel, Nick at Nite, TNT, ABC Family.
Top movie (18-49s): FX’s “The Simpsons Movie” (Thursday, 8 p.m.) 1.45 million.
Top sporting event (total viewers): ESPN’s “College Basketball: Kentucky/Florida” (Tuesday, 9:04 p.m.) 2.52 million.
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: USA’s “WWE Entertainment” (Monday, 9 and 10 p.m.); MTV’s “Jersey Shore” (Thursday, 11 p.m.).
Show on the rise: E!’s “Live from the Red Carpet: The 2010 Golden Globe Awards,” Sunday 6 p.m. The pre-awards hype machine averaged 1.68 million total viewers, up 17 percent from 1.44 million last year.
Show on the decline: Lifetime’s “Project Runway,” Thursday 10 p.m. The season premiere averaged 1.68 million viewers 18-49, off 30 percent from 2.41 million for its previous season premiere in August.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending January 17 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1976
|
NICK
|
1628
|
|
2
|
FOXN
|
1802
|
NAN
*
|
1403
|
|
3
|
NAN
|
1577
|
USA
|
1154
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
1567
|
TNT
|
1061
|
|
5
|
AEN
|
1257
|
FOXN
|
1057
|
|
6
|
TBSC
|
1176
|
ADSM*
|
948
|
|
7
|
FAM
|
1156
|
TOON
|
792
|
|
8
|
FX
|
1026
|
AEN
|
755
|
|
9
|
ESPN
|
1006
|
TBSC
|
692
|
|
10
|
TOON
|
978
|
ESPN
|
684
|
|
11
|
HGTV
|
964
|
CNN
|
664
|
|
12
|
CNN
|
918
|
LIF
|
627
|
|
13
|
TRU
|
890
|
TRU
|
602
|
|
14
|
DISC
|
888
|
FAM
|
587
|
|
15
|
LIF
|
887
|
HGTV
|
575
|
|
16
|
AMC
|
855
|
FOOD
|
569
|
|
17
|
HIST
|
855
|
HIST
|
555
|
|
18
|
FOOD
|
806
|
FX
|
552
|
|
19
|
HALL
|
794
|
DISC
|
541
|
|
20
|
MTV
|
774
|
MTV
|
534
|
|
21
|
SPK
|
770
|
SPK
|
520
|
|
22
|
SYFY
|
742
|
HALL
|
456
|
|
23
|
TLC
|
737
|
TVLD
|
455
|
|
24
|
CMDY
|
622
|
AMC
|
452
|
|
25
|
VH1
|
575
|
TLC
|
404
|
|
* 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 17 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3692
|
|
2
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3689
|
|
3
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3428
|
|
4
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3414
|
|
5
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3281
|
|
6
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3264
|
|
7
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3180
|
|
8
|
The Penguins Of
Madagascar
|
NICK
|
3129
|
|
9
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
3088
|
|
10
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3049
|
|
11
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2976
|
|
12
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2972
|
|
13
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2940
|
|
14
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2907
|
|
15
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2881
|
|
16
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2835
|
|
17
|
Jersey
Shore
|
MTV
|
2829
|
|
18
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2801
|
|
19
|
Fanboy & Chum Chum
|
NICK
|
2761
|
|
20
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2722
|
|
21
|
Good Burger
|
NAN
|
2715
|
|
22
|
Leverage
|
TNT
|
2705
|
|
23
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2644
|
|
24
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2640
|
|
25
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2616
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending January 17 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
533
|
ADSM*
|
482
|
|
2
|
TBSC
|
504
|
NAN
*
|
372
|
|
3
|
MTV
|
492
|
NICK
|
347
|
|
4
|
FX
|
462
|
MTV
|
317
|
|
5
|
TNT
|
407
|
TBSC
|
279
|
|
6
|
AEN
|
374
|
USA
|
265
|
|
7
|
FAM
|
357
|
ESPN
|
252
|
|
8
|
DISC
|
323
|
TNT
|
250
|
|
9
|
NAN
|
312
|
FX
|
221
|
|
10
|
VH1
|
306
|
AEN
|
212
|
|
* 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 17 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Jersey
Shore
|
MTV
|
2143
|
|
2
|
Jersey
Shore
|
MTV
|
1814
|
|
3
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1414
|
|
4
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1411
|
|
5
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
1372
|
|
6
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1333
|
|
7
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
1318
|
|
8
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1240
|
|
9
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1218
|
|
10
|
Teen Mom
|
MTV
|
1209
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending January 17 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1138
|
ADSM*
|
663
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
906
|
NAN
*
|
611
|
|
3
|
TBSC
|
904
|
USA
|
605
|
|
4
|
FX
|
813
|
TNT
|
595
|
|
5
|
AEN
|
797
|
NICK
|
564
|
|
6
|
DISC
|
651
|
TBSC
|
511
|
|
7
|
TRU
|
650
|
AEN
|
459
|
|
8
|
FAM
|
645
|
ESPN
|
457
|
|
9
|
MTV
|
615
|
FX
|
404
|
|
10
|
ESPN
|
590
|
MTV
|
401
|
|
* 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 17 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2721
|
|
2
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2707
|
|
3
|
Jersey
Shore
|
MTV
|
2633
|
|
4
|
Jersey
Shore
|
MTV
|
2241
|
|
5
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1998
|
|
6
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1954
|
|
7
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1797
|
|
8
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1771
|
|
9
|
Leverage
|
TNT
|
1714
|
|
10
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1681
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending January 17 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1199
|
USA
|
639
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
943
|
TNT
|
637
|
|
3
|
AEN
|
822
|
NAN
*
|
501
|
|
4
|
TBSC
|
778
|
AEN
|
482
|
|
5
|
FX
|
718
|
TBSC
|
449
|
|
6
|
TRU
|
665
|
ADSM*
|
448
|
|
7
|
FOXN
|
646
|
NICK
|
444
|
|
8
|
DISC
|
645
|
TRU
|
415
|
|
9
|
HIST
|
612
|
ESPN
|
401
|
|
10
|
FOOD
|
581
|
LIF
|
373
|
|
* 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 17 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2655
|
|
2
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2652
|
|
3
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
1925
|
|
4
|
Leverage
|
TNT
|
1771
|
|
5
|
Men Of A Certain Age
|
TNT
|
1710
|
|
6
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
1694
|
|
7
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
1691
|
|
8
|
Project Runway
|
LIF
|
1654
|
|
9
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
1617
|
|
10
|
Jersey
Shore
|
MTV
|
1605
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
