The “MTV Movie Awards” have had their share of memorable moments over the years, not all good. Last year, a stunt in which a joint appeared on stage fell flat.
But this year’s “Movie Awards” is certain to go down as one of the best and funniest ever, in large part because of actor Sacha Baron Cohen flying down from the rafters and landing bare-butted in rapper Eminem’s face.
The show also benefited tremendously from host Andy Samberg, an actor from “Saturday Night Live,” who proved to be a capable host. His skits were funny, and he kept the whole event moving along at a pretty good clip.
All that and a "Harry Potter" preview led to big numbers.
More than 5.3 million people tuned in to the “MTV Movie Awards," up 78 percent from last year and giving it its best audience since 2004.
The special pulled a 4.8 rating among people 12-34, nearly twice last year’s rating, and among 18-49s, it was the No. 8 show of the week with 3.7 million viewers in the demographic. It ranked No. 6 in 18-34s with 2.8 million viewers.
The special also did well online, which should not be all that surprising. On the day after the show, it was streamed 3.5 million times, up from 2.9 million the same day last year. The Cohen skit, in which he played effeminate character Bruno, was streamed more than 800,000 times that day
For the week ending May 31, MTV ranked No. 7 in 18-49s with an average 754,000 viewers in primetime, and No. 3 in 18-34s with 561,000 viewers.
That came as a welcome boost. In May, MTV was down 11 percent in 18-49s, to 516,000 viewers, and down 16 percent in 18-34s, to 390,000 viewers.
But while MTV had a good week, it was outshined by TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” a reality show that’s riding a wave of press coverage about the couple’s marital problems.
“Jon & Kate” was the No. 1 show last week in 18-49s and 18-34s. TLC was a top-5 show in every major adult demographic.
Still, the week belonged mostly to TNT and ESPN, which saw NBA playoff ratings soar to record highs. Both networks dominated the top 10, each with multiple playoff games among the most watched of the week, including last Tuesday’s matchup between the Cavaliers and the Magic on TNT. It ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in most adult demographics.
***
In cable ratings for the week ended May 31:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): TNT, ESPN, USA, TLC, TBS.
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): TNT, ESPN, USA, Fox News Channel, TLC.
Top movie (18-49s): FX’s “Night at the Museum” (Sunday, 6:30 p.m.) 1.49 million.
Top sporting event (total viewers): TNT’s “NBA Basketball: Cavaliers/Magic” (Tuesday, 8:36 p.m.) 10.08 million.
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: TNT’s “NBA Basketball: Cavaliers/Magic” (Tuesday, 8:36 p.m.); TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8” (Monday, 9 p.m.); ESPN’s “NBA Basketball: Lakers/Nuggets” (Monday, 8:56 p.m.); ESPN’s “NBA Basketball: Lakers/Nuggets” (Wednesday, 8:56 p.m.); ESPN’s “NBA Basketball: Lakers/Nuggets” (Friday, 8:56 p.m.); TNT’s “NBA Basketball: Magic/Cavaliers” (Thursday, 8:34 p.m.); TNT’s “NBA Basketball: Cavaliers/Magic” (Saturday, 8:35 p.m.); MTV’s “2009 MTV Movie Awards” (Sunday, 9 p.m.); TNT’s “Inside the NBA Playoffs” (Tuesday, 11:52 p.m.).
Show on the rise: Spike TV’s “Jesse James is a Dead Man,” Sunday 10 p.m. The series premiere averaged 888,000 males 18-49, making it the highest-rated non-scripted series premiere in the network’s history in the demo.
Show on the decline: USA’s “WWE Raw,” Monday 10 p.m. Wrestling took a hit from the NBA playoffs, with the second hour of “Raw” averaging 1.16 million viewers 18-34, down 18 percent from 1.41 million the previous week.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending May 31 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
TNT
|
2835
|
NICK
|
1685
|
|
2
|
ESPN
|
2451
|
NAN
*
|
1287
|
|
3
|
USA
|
2266
|
USA
|
1277
|
|
4
|
FOXN
|
1477
|
TNT
|
1254
|
|
5
|
TLC
|
1318
|
ESPN
|
1035
|
|
6
|
NAN
|
1277
|
ADSM*
|
923
|
|
7
|
TBSC
|
1168
|
FOXN
|
891
|
|
8
|
FX
|
1127
|
TOON
|
791
|
|
9
|
AEN
|
1105
|
TBSC
|
713
|
|
10
|
LIF
|
1071
|
AEN
|
653
|
|
11
|
HGTV
|
972
|
LIF
|
630
|
|
12
|
DISC
|
962
|
HIST
|
600
|
|
13
|
HIST
|
957
|
FX
|
594
|
|
14
|
FAM
|
891
|
DISC
|
561
|
|
15
|
TOON
|
886
|
TLC
|
561
|
|
16
|
AMC
|
852
|
TRU
|
547
|
|
17
|
MTV
|
820
|
HGTV
|
544
|
|
18
|
SPK
|
772
|
FOOD
|
528
|
|
19
|
SCIF
|
765
|
SPK
|
516
|
|
20
|
FOOD
|
736
|
FAM
|
504
|
|
21
|
HALL
|
702
|
AMC
|
499
|
|
22
|
TRU
|
701
|
TVLD
|
450
|
|
23
|
CMDY
|
640
|
CMDY
|
435
|
|
24
|
MSNB
|
604
|
MTV
|
430
|
|
25
|
BRAV
|
596
|
HALL
|
412
|
|
* 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 May 31 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
7221
|
|
2
|
Magic/Cavaliers
|
TNT
|
7084
|
|
3
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
6679
|
|
4
|
Jon & Kate Plus 8
|
TLC
|
6625
|
|
5
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
6357
|
|
6
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
5998
|
|
7
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
5813
|
|
8
|
2009 MTV Movie Awards
|
MTV
|
3557
|
|
9
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3324
|
|
10
|
Inside The NBA Playoffs
|
TNT
|
3234
|
|
11
|
The Penguins Of
Madagascar
|
NICK
|
3171
|
|
12
|
Inside The NBA Playoffs
|
TNT
|
3140
|
|
13
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3085
|
|
14
|
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Orig)
|
USA
|
3083
|
|
15
|
In Plain Sight
|
USA
|
3072
|
|
16
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3032
|
|
17
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2998
|
|
18
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2952
|
|
19
|
Inside The NBA Playoffs
|
TNT
|
2870
|
|
20
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2860
|
|
21
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2839
|
|
22
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2815
|
|
23
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2807
|
|
24
|
Sportscenter Late
|
ESPN
|
2783
|
|
25
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2775
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending May 31 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
TNT
|
1051
|
ADSM*
|
443
|
|
2
|
ESPN
|
958
|
ESPN
|
432
|
|
3
|
MTV
|
561
|
TNT
|
412
|
|
4
|
USA
|
550
|
NAN
*
|
365
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
529
|
NICK
|
352
|
|
6
|
TLC
|
499
|
TBSC
|
306
|
|
7
|
FX
|
372
|
USA
|
292
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
303
|
MTV
|
262
|
|
9
|
FAM
|
298
|
FX
|
222
|
|
10
|
DISC
|
291
|
TLC
|
206
|
|
* 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 May 31 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Jon & Kate Plus 8
|
TLC
|
3631
|
|
2
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
3273
|
|
3
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
3042
|
|
4
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
2944
|
|
5
|
Magic/Cavaliers
|
TNT
|
2914
|
|
6
|
2009 MTV Movie Awards
|
MTV
|
2799
|
|
7
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
2493
|
|
8
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
2298
|
|
9
|
The Hills
|
MTV
|
1666
|
|
10
|
Inside The NBA Playoffs
|
TNT
|
1604
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending May 31 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
TNT
|
2068
|
TNT
|
851
|
|
2
|
ESPN
|
1751
|
ESPN
|
758
|
|
3
|
USA
|
1258
|
USA
|
680
|
|
4
|
TLC
|
934
|
NAN
*
|
632
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
930
|
ADSM*
|
587
|
|
6
|
FX
|
838
|
NICK
|
564
|
|
7
|
MTV
|
754
|
TBSC
|
550
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
679
|
FX
|
442
|
|
9
|
DISC
|
673
|
AEN
|
407
|
|
10
|
NAN
|
591
|
LIF
|
380
|
|
* 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 May 31 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Jon & Kate Plus 8
|
TLC
|
6090
|
|
2
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
5868
|
|
3
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
5497
|
|
4
|
Magic/Cavaliers
|
TNT
|
5496
|
|
5
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
5268
|
|
6
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
4541
|
|
7
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
4471
|
|
8
|
2009 MTV Movie Awards
|
MTV
|
3673
|
|
9
|
Inside The NBA Playoffs
|
TNT
|
2619
|
|
10
|
Inside The NBA Playoffs
|
TNT
|
2579
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending May 31 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
TNT
|
2063
|
TNT
|
862
|
|
2
|
ESPN
|
1679
|
USA
|
748
|
|
3
|
USA
|
1375
|
ESPN
|
669
|
|
4
|
TLC
|
888
|
NAN
*
|
536
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
821
|
TBSC
|
479
|
|
6
|
FX
|
800
|
NICK
|
451
|
|
7
|
AEN
|
703
|
AEN
|
408
|
|
8
|
DISC
|
686
|
FX
|
402
|
|
9
|
HIST
|
642
|
HIST
|
390
|
|
10
|
LIF
|
617
|
ADSM*
|
387
|
|
* 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 May 31 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
5548
|
|
2
|
Jon & Kate Plus 8
|
TLC
|
5340
|
|
3
|
Magic/Cavaliers
|
TNT
|
5144
|
|
4
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
5113
|
|
5
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
4782
|
|
6
|
Cavaliers/Magic
|
TNT
|
4477
|
|
7
|
Lakers/Nuggets
|
ESPN
|
4360
|
|
8
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
2435
|
|
9
|
2009 MTV Movie Awards
|
MTV
|
2337
|
|
10
|
Inside The NBA Playoffs
|
TNT
|
2271
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research data
|
