Just a so-so
premiere for HBO's 'Pacific'
Much-praised drama averages 3.1 million viewers
By Toni Fitzgerald
Mar 17, 2010
"The Pacific" may have created a huge amount of buzz for HBO, but its first installment didn't deliver the sort of viewership you'd expect for a production that cost a reported $250 million.
Sunday's 9 p.m. premiere averaged 3.1 million total viewers for the first in a 10-episode series, and another 900,000 viewers caught a replay of it later that night.
The 3.1 million for the first airing was good enough to rank in cable's top 40 for the week, but not by much. Still, the pay channel is available in about a third of the number of households as most basic cable channels.
By comparison, last summer's season finale of HBO's vampire hit "True Blood" averaged 5.1 million. "Pacific" drew about as many viewers as a typical episode of "Hung," HBO's first-year show about a generously endowed male prostitute.
"Pacific" was way down from the 2001 premiere of that other Tom Hanks-Steven Spielberg World War II drama, the critical and commercial hit "Band of Brothers." "Brothers" drew 10 million viewers in its first outing.
"Pacific," Hanks and Spielberg's third overall WWII collaboration counting 1998's "Saving Private Ryan," received lots of prelaunch buzz. Stories about it appeared on the radio, on television and in newspapers and magazines in the days before its premiere.
And critics were wowed by the series, which follows a group of Marines fighting in the South Pacific. Wrote Media Life's Tom Conroy, "HBO subscribers will get their money’s worth; everyone else should rent the DVDs as soon as possible."
But "Pacific's" gory nature and slow storytelling may have lost some viewers, while others may have DVRed the first episode or watched it on demand, two options that were not as widely available nine years ago when "Brother" premiered.
Perhaps anticipating the lukewarm tune-in, HBO this week made the first episode of "Pacific" available online for its subscribers so that people can catch up before episode two premieres Sunday.
Of course what matters in the end is buzz, which gets people to sign up for pay cable. And if "Pacific's" buzz continues even with relatively low viewership, HBO should be satisfied.
***
In cable ratings for the week ended March 14:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, TBS, History, FX, TNT.
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, Fox News Channel, TBS, TNT, History.
Top five cable news networks in primetime (25-54): Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, HLN, CNBC.
Top five cable news programs (total viewers): 1. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Monday, 8 p.m.) 3.87 million; 2. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Wednesday, 8 p.m.) 3.76 million; 3. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Tuesday, 8 p.m.) 3.50 million; 4. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Thursday, 8 p.m.) 3.48 million; 5. Fox News Channel’s “Glenn Beck” (Tuesday, 5 p.m.) 3.41 million.
Top movie (18-49s): TBS’s “Walking Tall” (Sunday, 4 p.m.) 1.37 million.
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: History’s “Pawn Stars” (Monday, 10 and 10:30 p.m.); USA’s “WWE Raw” (Monday, 10 p.m.).
Show on the rise: History’s “American Pickers” Monday 9 p.m. The reality series averaged 2.51 million viewers 25-54, up 19.5 percent from 2.10 million the previous week.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending March 14 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1844
|
NICK
|
1613
|
|
2
|
FOXN
|
1747
|
NAN
*
|
1335
|
|
3
|
TBSC
|
1414
|
FOXN
|
1043
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
1313
|
TNT
|
1043
|
|
5
|
NAN
|
1300
|
ADSM*
|
1005
|
|
6
|
ESPN
|
1254
|
USA
|
961
|
|
7
|
HIST
|
1253
|
TBSC
|
824
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
1146
|
TOON
|
816
|
|
9
|
FAM
|
1091
|
ESPN
|
747
|
|
10
|
HGTV
|
1068
|
AEN
|
712
|
|
11
|
LIF
|
1018
|
HIST
|
663
|
|
12
|
FX
|
1015
|
LIF
|
651
|
|
13
|
TOON
|
959
|
TRU
|
621
|
|
14
|
TRU
|
902
|
HGTV
|
618
|
|
15
|
FOOD
|
875
|
FOOD
|
589
|
|
16
|
AMC
|
869
|
FX
|
557
|
|
17
|
DISC
|
833
|
SPK
|
549
|
|
18
|
SYFY
|
795
|
FAM
|
527
|
|
19
|
SPK
|
786
|
DISC
|
525
|
|
20
|
TLC
|
784
|
AMC
|
494
|
|
21
|
CMDY
|
742
|
TVLD
|
459
|
|
22
|
BRAV
|
707
|
CMDY
|
443
|
|
23
|
HALL
|
664
|
HALL
|
416
|
|
24
|
MTV
|
652
|
SYFY
|
408
|
|
25
|
TVLD
|
616
|
TLC
|
398
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending March 14 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
4030
|
|
2
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3885
|
|
3
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3564
|
|
4
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3476
|
|
5
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
3228
|
|
6
|
American Pickers
|
HIST
|
3150
|
|
7
|
The Penguins Of
Madagascar
|
NICK
|
3130
|
|
8
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3116
|
|
9
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3099
|
|
10
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3077
|
|
11
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2968
|
|
12
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2886
|
|
13
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2867
|
|
14
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2819
|
|
15
|
White Collar
|
USA
|
2759
|
|
16
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2757
|
|
17
|
Fanboy & Chum Chum
|
NICK
|
2706
|
|
18
|
Glenn Beck
|
FOXN
|
2674
|
|
19
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2666
|
|
20
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2660
|
|
21
|
The O'Reilly Factor
|
FOXN
|
2644
|
|
22
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2633
|
|
23
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2526
|
|
23
|
iCarly
|
NICK
|
2526
|
|
25
|
The Fairly Odd Parents
|
NICK
|
2520
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending March 14 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
TBSC
|
615
|
ADSM*
|
515
|
|
2
|
USA
|
510
|
NICK
|
364
|
|
3
|
FX
|
392
|
NAN
*
|
344
|
|
4
|
CMDY
|
380
|
TBSC
|
342
|
|
5
|
MTV
|
377
|
ESPN
|
276
|
|
6
|
HIST
|
360
|
USA
|
269
|
|
7
|
ESPN
|
357
|
TNT
|
237
|
|
8
|
TNT
|
315
|
CMDY
|
228
|
|
9
|
FAM
|
314
|
MTV
|
223
|
|
10
|
BRAV
|
298
|
FX
|
222
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending March 14 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
1607
|
|
2
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
1566
|
|
3
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1448
|
|
4
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1320
|
|
5
|
Kendra
|
EN
|
1320
|
|
6
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1305
|
|
7
|
16 And Pregnant 2
|
MTV
|
1299
|
|
8
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
1276
|
|
9
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1248
|
|
10
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1239
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending March 14 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1100
|
ADSM*
|
685
|
|
2
|
TBSC
|
1091
|
TBSC
|
630
|
|
3
|
HIST
|
808
|
NAN
*
|
603
|
|
4
|
FX
|
716
|
NICK
|
578
|
|
5
|
TNT
|
705
|
TNT
|
575
|
|
6
|
ESPN
|
704
|
USA
|
554
|
|
7
|
AEN
|
691
|
ESPN
|
482
|
|
8
|
FAM
|
650
|
AEN
|
437
|
|
9
|
CMDY
|
599
|
HIST
|
408
|
|
10
|
TRU
|
589
|
FX
|
401
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending March 14 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3274
|
|
2
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3041
|
|
3
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2775
|
|
4
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2378
|
|
5
|
American Pickers
|
HIST
|
2370
|
|
6
|
Kendra
|
EN
|
1880
|
|
7
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1863
|
|
8
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1863
|
|
9
|
White Collar
|
USA
|
1854
|
|
10
|
Family Guy
|
TBSC
|
1837
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending March 14 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1149
|
TNT
|
609
|
|
2
|
TBSC
|
928
|
USA
|
570
|
|
3
|
HIST
|
866
|
TBSC
|
557
|
|
4
|
TNT
|
741
|
NAN
*
|
494
|
|
5
|
AEN
|
726
|
NICK
|
467
|
|
6
|
ESPN
|
694
|
AEN
|
450
|
|
7
|
FX
|
647
|
ESPN
|
429
|
|
8
|
TRU
|
612
|
HIST
|
429
|
|
9
|
FOOD
|
597
|
ADSM*
|
419
|
|
10
|
FAM
|
593
|
TRU
|
414
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending March 14 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3368
|
|
2
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3045
|
|
3
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2678
|
|
4
|
American Pickers
|
HIST
|
2513
|
|
5
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2210
|
|
6
|
White Collar
|
USA
|
1866
|
|
7
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
1749
|
|
8
|
Ax Men
|
HIST
|
1725
|
|
9
|
Real Housewives Of
Orange
County
|
BRAV
|
1597
|
|
10
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
1573
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
|
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