On cable, all the attention these days seems to be going to the likes of TLC for "Jon & Kate Plus 8" and USA for its rookie hit "Royal Pains."
Less talked about is what TNT has pulled off this summer, but it's certainly no less significant. It's extended its original programming from one night of the week, Monday, to three, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
TNT has long talked about competing with broadcast with original programming on multiple nights, and over the last year in particular.
Now it's done it, and it's reflected in the ratings
Last week, TNT was the No. 2 cable network in primetime behind only USA with nearly 2.3 million viewers.
Much of the credit goes to "The Closer," the long-running Kyra Sedgwick drama about a Los Angeles homicide detective that airs on Monday. It was cable’s No. 1 show last week with almost 7.5 million viewers.
But also doing well is its lead-out, "Raising the Bar," which was seen by 3.5 million viewers, up 10 percent from the prior week. The Steven Bochco legal drama, now in its second season, has never been a critics’ favorite, and some didn’t think it would be back after its first season.
On Tuesday last week, the new Jada Pinkett Smith drama "HawthoRNe," in which Smith plays a nurse, drew an audience of 3.6 million people, outperforming the returning "Saving Grace," its lead-out, which averaged 3.2 million viewers. That show aired on Mondays last year.
And on Wednesday "Leverage," a light drama now in its second season, was seen by 3.7 million viewers, while the first-year drama "Dark Blue" averaged 2.9 million viewers.
***
In cable ratings for the week ended Aug. 2:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, TBS, TNT, Discovery Channel, Food Network
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, TNT, Fox News Channel, Nick at Nite, TBS
Top movie (18-49s): TBS’s “Hitch” (Sunday, 8 p.m.) 1.43 million
Top sporting event (total viewers): ESPN’s “NASCAR Sprint Cup-Rain Delay” (Sunday, 2:16 p.m.) 3.12 million
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: USA’s “WWE Raw” (Monday, 9 and 10 p.m.); USA’s “Royal Pains” (Thursday, 10 p.m.); Food Network’s “The Next Food Network Star” (Sunday, 9 p.m.)
Show on the rise: USA’s “Royal Pains,” Thursday 10 p.m. The first-year program was No. 1 for the week among viewers 18-34 and 18-49, as well as No. 2 among 25-54s. Among 18-34s the show was up 19 percent week-to-week from 1.04 million viewers to 1.24 million.
Show on the decline: TLC’s “LA Ink” Thursday 10 p.m. The tattoo-centered reality series fell 16 percent week-to-week among total viewers, from 1.89 million to 1.58 million.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending August 2 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
2633
|
NICK
|
1661
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
1717
|
NAN
*
|
1375
|
|
3
|
FOXN
|
1655
|
USA
|
1330
|
|
4
|
NAN
|
1416
|
TNT
|
1007
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
1224
|
ADSM*
|
980
|
|
6
|
FOOD
|
1113
|
FOXN
|
946
|
|
7
|
HGTV
|
1101
|
TOON
|
901
|
|
8
|
ESPN
|
1044
|
TBSC
|
745
|
|
9
|
FAM
|
1019
|
FOOD
|
642
|
|
10
|
DISC
|
975
|
ESPN
|
639
|
|
11
|
AEN
|
923
|
TRU
|
610
|
|
12
|
HIST
|
921
|
HGTV
|
577
|
|
13
|
LIF
|
892
|
DISC
|
576
|
|
14
|
SYFY
|
889
|
LIF
|
575
|
|
15
|
FX
|
885
|
AEN
|
572
|
|
16
|
HALL
|
863
|
FX
|
553
|
|
17
|
TRU
|
846
|
HIST
|
547
|
|
18
|
TOON
|
813
|
SPK
|
529
|
|
19
|
TLC
|
794
|
FAM
|
515
|
|
20
|
CNN
|
700
|
TVLD
|
488
|
|
21
|
AMC
|
670
|
CNN
|
474
|
|
22
|
SPK
|
666
|
HALL
|
459
|
|
23
|
CMDY
|
647
|
TLC
|
449
|
|
24
|
BRAV
|
551
|
AMC
|
440
|
|
25
|
MSNB
|
542
|
CMDY
|
414
|
|
* 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 August 2 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
The Closer
|
TNT
|
5302
|
|
2
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
4564
|
|
3
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
4411
|
|
4
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3950
|
|
5
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3845
|
|
6
|
The Next Food Network Star 5
|
FOOD
|
3733
|
|
7
|
Law & Order: CI (Orig)
|
USA
|
3272
|
|
8
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3228
|
|
9
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3201
|
|
10
|
Army Wives
|
LIF
|
3006
|
|
11
|
Law & Order: SVU
|
USA
|
2992
|
|
12
|
In Plain Sight
|
USA
|
2893
|
|
13
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2891
|
|
14
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2810
|
|
15
|
Leverage
|
TNT
|
2763
|
|
16
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
2720
|
|
16
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2720
|
|
18
|
Raising The Bar
|
TNT
|
2704
|
|
19
|
Hawthorne
|
TNT
|
2700
|
|
20
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2684
|
|
21
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2679
|
|
21
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2679
|
|
23
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2673
|
|
24
|
The Penguins Of
Madagascar
|
NICK
|
2668
|
|
25
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2659
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending August 2 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
TBSC
|
574
|
ADSM*
|
417
|
|
2
|
USA
|
548
|
NAN
*
|
354
|
|
3
|
FX
|
325
|
TBSC
|
323
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
317
|
NICK
|
307
|
|
5
|
ESPN
|
316
|
USA
|
272
|
|
6
|
FAM
|
314
|
TNT
|
238
|
|
7
|
CMDY
|
307
|
FX
|
213
|
|
8
|
FOOD
|
304
|
ESPN
|
212
|
|
9
|
DISC
|
298
|
CMDY
|
201
|
|
10
|
NAN
|
296
|
MTV
|
200
|
|
* 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 August 2 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
1241
|
|
2
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1224
|
|
3
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1199
|
|
4
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
1184
|
|
5
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
1183
|
|
6
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1159
|
|
7
|
Kendra
|
EN
|
1146
|
|
8
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1125
|
|
9
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1070
|
|
10
|
The Next Food Network Star 5
|
FOOD
|
1054
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending August 2 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1337
|
USA
|
668
|
|
2
|
TBSC
|
1011
|
NAN
*
|
619
|
|
3
|
TNT
|
900
|
ADSM*
|
609
|
|
4
|
DISC
|
771
|
TNT
|
576
|
|
5
|
FOOD
|
708
|
TBSC
|
571
|
|
6
|
FX
|
672
|
NICK
|
513
|
|
7
|
ESPN
|
630
|
ESPN
|
413
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
606
|
DISC
|
405
|
|
9
|
FAM
|
596
|
FX
|
401
|
|
10
|
HIST
|
585
|
TRU
|
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 18-49
Week Ending August 2 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
2577
|
|
2
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2572
|
|
3
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2543
|
|
4
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
2499
|
|
5
|
The Next Food Network Star 5
|
FOOD
|
2479
|
|
6
|
Deadliest Catch
|
DISC
|
2431
|
|
7
|
The Closer
|
TNT
|
2196
|
|
8
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1790
|
|
9
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1769
|
|
10
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1733
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending August 2 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1582
|
USA
|
760
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
1052
|
TNT
|
628
|
|
3
|
TBSC
|
861
|
NAN
*
|
519
|
|
4
|
FOOD
|
788
|
TBSC
|
487
|
|
5
|
DISC
|
787
|
ADSM*
|
438
|
|
6
|
SYFY
|
640
|
NICK
|
416
|
|
7
|
FX
|
628
|
DISC
|
405
|
|
8
|
HIST
|
621
|
TRU
|
385
|
|
9
|
HGTV
|
615
|
FOOD
|
383
|
|
10
|
ESPN
|
613
|
ESPN
|
378
|
|
* 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 August 2 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
3026
|
|
2
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
2909
|
|
3
|
The Next Food Network Star 5
|
FOOD
|
2881
|
|
4
|
The Closer
|
TNT
|
2838
|
|
5
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2703
|
|
6
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2691
|
|
7
|
Deadliest Catch
|
DISC
|
2525
|
|
8
|
Law & Order: CI (Orig)
|
USA
|
2011
|
|
9
|
In Plain Sight
|
USA
|
2003
|
|
10
|
Army Wives
|
LIF
|
1962
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
