The writers’ strike is now well into its fifth week, and the late-night shows are feeling the hurt. All but one, NBC’s low-rated “Last Call with Carson Daly,” have been in reruns for more than a month, and they’ve seen ratings plunge anywhere from 13 to 40 percent in key demographics.
But there’s one late-night player that is unaffected by the strike and showing solid growth in late night, and that’s Adult Swim, the late-night identity of Cartoon Network.
While viewers tune out of repeats on broadcast and cable rival Comedy Central, Adult Swim has seen its averages in its core men 18-34 and men 18-49 rise.
During the four weeks from Nov. 5 to Dec. 2, the most recent ratings available, Adult Swim’s average from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. is up 17 percent compared with a year ago among men 18-34, to a 0.95 rating, according to Nielsen numbers crunched by Magna Global. Among men 18-49, it’s up 11 percent, to a 0.61.
This comes as late-night broadcast takes deeper and deeper hits, with double-digit declines in both demographics. Adult Swim has a higher average than all of them among men 18-34 and trails only CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman” among men 18-49.
But while it's temping to attribute Adult Swim's increase to the strike, the numbers say otherwise, according to Brian Hughes, manager of broadcast research at Magna Global and author of its late-night report.
Rather, Hughes argues it reflects a growth trend in effect before the strike began, and one not particularly affected by it either way.
Hughes notes that the broadcast late-night shows tend to skew much older than Adult Swim, and he believes those viewers may be seeking other alternatives.
Moreover, as he notes, Adult Swim has been flat to down since the strike began compared with just before, depending on the demo. Says Hughes: "Any gains it has made are more from ongoing trends than the strike."
The Adult Swim lineup consists of a rotating roster of animated shows, including former and current Fox hits “Futurama” and “Family Guy,” as well as network originals like “Robot Chicken,” “Metalocalypse” and “Shin Chan.”
All have a lot more bite than Jay Leno or even David Letterman, with often crass, heavily satirical humor. They’re probably closest in tone to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report,” the shows that rank just behind Adult Swim in men 18-34
Meanwhile, in other daypart ratings for the week ended Dec. 2, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was once again first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 4.04 million tuning in and first among viewers 25-54 with a 1.1 rating. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was second in viewers with 2.91 million and second among 25-54s with a 0.9, with CBS’s “Face the Nation” pulling 2.56 million viewers and a 0.7 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” was fourth in viewers with 1.19 million and among 25-54s with a 0.4.
In late night, ABC’s “Nightline” finished first for the week, averaging 4.0 million total viewers and a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49. NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” had 3.5 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the demo, with CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” bringing in 3.1 million viewers and a 0.9 18-49 rating. In late-late night, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” had 1.9 million total viewers and a 0.6 in 18-49s, with NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” averaging 1.5 million viewers and a 0.6, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.5 million viewers and a 0.5, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.0 million viewers and a 0.4 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.7 million total viewers and a 4.5 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 5.1 million viewers and a 4.0/14. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.9 million total viewers and a 2.3/8.
CBS had the largest full daytime audience, averaging 3.86 million viewers, but was third among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 2.99 million viewers, and was tied for first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.71 million and tied for first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating.
In evening network news for the week ended Dec. 9, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers, averaging 9.47 million, as well as among 25-54s with a 2.4 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 9.32 million, and second among 25-54s with a 2.3, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 6.55 million total viewers and a 1.6 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending December 2, 2007
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
3.0 |
8 |
1.1 |
4.040 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.1 |
6 |
0.9 |
2.905 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.0 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.562 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
0.9 |
2 |
0.4 |
1.192 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending December 2, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
4.0 |
1.2 |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
3.5 |
1.1 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.1 |
0.9 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.9 |
0.6 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
1.5 |
0.6 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.5 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
1.0 |
0.4 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending December 2, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.5 |
15 |
5.7 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
4.0 |
14 |
5.1 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.3 |
8 |
2.9 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending December 9, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.86 |
1.3 |
|
ABC |
2.99 |
1.4 |
|
NBC |
2.71 |
1.4 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending December 9, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.4 |
9.470 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.3 |
9.320 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.6 |
6.550 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 25, 2007
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
8.0
|
9072
|
|
2
|
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON
|
ESP
|
6.7
|
7589
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.7
|
7556
|
|
4
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
5.7
|
6485
|
|
5
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
5.5
|
6220
|
|
6
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
5.1
|
5716
|
|
7
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.9
|
5550
|
|
8
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
4.3
|
4889
|
|
8
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.3
|
4838
|
|
10
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
4.1
|
4658
|
|
11
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.0
|
4510
|
|
11
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
4.0
|
4501
|
|
13
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.6
|
4098
|
|
13
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
CTD
|
3.6
|
4009
|
|
15
|
BUENA VISTA
V
|
DAD
|
3.3
|
3709
|
|
16
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
3.2
|
3567
|
|
17
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
3.0
|
3420
|
|
|
