When A&E Network paid a record $2.55 million per episode for the off-network rights to “The Sopranos,” it seemed like an incredibly risky move for a network long known as the home of “Biography” and “Colombo” reruns.
That was two years ago, and back then an edgy drama like “The Sopranos” just didn’t seem to fit its identity.
But in the time since A&E has been busy rebuilding itself as a network of hard-boiled reality shows and tough-knuckle drama reruns. So by the time “Sopranos" finally aired last month, the fit seemed dead center.
Or so early ratings suggest.
While "Sopranos" fell by about half after a huge first week, the twice-weekly primetime reruns have helped boost A&E to big gains over this time last year.
During January, the most recent month available, A&E’s primetime average soared 67 percent, from 1.01 million to 1.676 million, and it moved into the top five basic cable networks. That’s according to Nielsen data analyzed by Turner Networks.
Among adults 18-49, A&E averaged 806,000 viewers, up 54 percent over last year’s 522,000, and it also saw gains of 55 and 57 percent in 25-54s and 18-34s. It showed the most growth of any top 20 network in all of those demographics.
Two “Sopranos” episodes last Wednesday averaged more than 1.9 million total viewers, or nearly double the network’s usual primetime average.
In addition to “Sopranos,” other relatively new fare has given the network a boost as well. “CSI: Miami,” which recently entered syndication, regularly averages more than 1.5 million in the 8 p.m. weeknight timeslot and gives A&E a darker edge than one-time timeslot occupant “Biography.”
Its nonscripted pre-“Sopranos” fare also helped the network rise 7 percent in primetime last year in total viewers. Shows like “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” and drug and alcohol addiction program “Intervention” are much more serious-minded than the usual reality fluff that litters basic cable.
And more gritty crime may be on the way. A&E said at last month’s Television Critics Association winter tour that it intends to use the additional exposure and awareness of the network that “Sopranos” has generated to launch a new scripted drama next year, putting six pilots into development, four of them about cops or crime.
The network attempted and failed to program dramas six years ago, when both “100 Centre Street” and “Nero Wolfe” flopped.
Meanwhile, in other cable ratings for the week ended Feb. 11:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, TBS, TNT, Comedy Central, A&E
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, Lifetime, TNT, TBS, Fox News
Top movie (18-49s): TBS’s “Men in Black 2” (Saturday, 8 p.m.) 1.82 million
Top sporting event (total viewers): USA’s “WWE” (Monday, 10 p.m.) 5.98 million
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: USA’s “WWE Entertainment” (Monday, 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.)
Show on the rise: MTV’s “The Hills,” Monday 10 p.m. The reality spinoff of “Laguna Beach” rose 13 percent week to week among 18-34s, averaging 1.65 million.
Show on the decline: USA, “Monk,” Friday 9 p.m. The detective show was down 10 percent week to week among 18-49s.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1980 |
NICK |
1752 |
|
2 |
LIF |
1370 |
NAN * |
1124 |
|
3 |
TNT |
1329 |
ADSM* |
1015 |
|
4 |
FOXN |
1326 |
USA |
1002 |
|
5 |
TBSC |
1260 |
TNT |
948 |
|
6 |
NAN |
1198 |
TOON |
904 |
|
7 |
AEN |
1118 |
LIF |
815 |
|
8 |
TOON |
1072 |
TBSC |
793 |
|
9 |
ESPN |
1016 |
FOXN |
792 |
|
10 |
AMC |
909 |
AEN |
737 |
|
11 |
SPK |
905 |
DISC |
549 |
|
12 |
CORT |
893 |
HALL |
539 |
|
13 |
HGTV |
853 |
ESPN |
537 |
|
14 |
HALL |
829 |
CORT |
525 |
|
15 |
DISC |
827 |
CMDY |
515 |
|
16 |
FX |
802 |
SPK |
513 |
|
17 |
HIST |
793 |
AMC |
504 |
|
18 |
CMDY |
792 |
HIST |
503 |
|
19 |
MTV |
777 |
HGTV |
501 |
|
20 |
SCIF |
765 |
CNN |
499 |
|
21 |
TVLD |
762 |
MTV |
499 |
|
22 |
CNN |
719 |
FOOD |
498 |
|
23 |
FAM |
698 |
FAM |
497 |
|
24 |
TLC |
698 |
FX |
486 |
|
25 |
FOOD |
627 |
TVLD |
480 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
3791 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
3725 |
|
3 |
Montana Sky |
LIF |
3629 |
|
4 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
3449 |
|
5 |
Monk |
USA |
3405 |
|
6 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
3278 |
|
7 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2968 |
|
8 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2919 |
|
9 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2905 |
|
10 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2793 |
|
11 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2765 |
|
12 |
Drake & Josh |
NICK |
2742 |
|
13 |
Ned Declassified |
NICK |
2719 |
|
14 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2710 |
|
15 |
Drake & Josh |
NICK |
2586 |
|
16 |
Jimmy Neutron |
NICK |
2559 |
|
17 |
Ned Declassified |
NICK |
2491 |
|
18 |
Drake & Josh |
NICK |
2437 |
|
19 |
Psych |
USA |
2428 |
|
20 |
Ned Declassified |
NICK |
2426 |
|
21 |
Drake & Josh |
NICK |
2421 |
|
22 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2403 |
|
23 |
Avatar |
NICK |
2387 |
|
24 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
2364 |
|
25 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2360 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
579 |
ADSM* |
450 |
|
2 |
TBSC |
574 |
NICK |
351 |
|
3 |
MTV |
523 |
TBSC |
330 |
|
4 |
CMDY |
438 |
NAN * |
315 |
|
5 |
ESPN |
333 |
MTV |
298 |
|
6 |
TNT |
326 |
USA |
280 |
|
7 |
FX |
316 |
CMDY |
270 |
|
8 |
SPK |
304 |
TNT |
240 |
|
9 |
AEN |
300 |
ESPN |
223 |
|
10 |
DISC |
288 |
DISC |
221 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
1746 |
|
2 |
The Hills |
MTV |
1653 |
|
3 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
1502 |
|
4 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1426 |
|
5 |
Real World XVIII |
MTV |
1356 |
|
6 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1241 |
|
7 |
Engaged & Underage |
MTV |
1111 |
|
8 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1035 |
|
9 |
Juvies |
MTV |
1034 |
|
10 |
My Super Sweet Sixteen |
MTV |
1023 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1178 |
ADSM* |
595 |
|
2 |
TBSC |
1024 |
TBSC |
591 |
|
3 |
TNT |
760 |
USA |
590 |
|
4 |
CMDY |
678 |
NICK |
571 |
|
5 |
AEN |
668 |
TNT |
544 |
|
6 |
SPK |
650 |
NAN * |
535 |
|
7 |
MTV |
632 |
AEN |
432 |
|
8 |
FX |
602 |
CMDY |
421 |
|
9 |
LIF |
593 |
LIF |
414 |
|
10 |
DISC |
582 |
DISC |
402 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
3027 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2616 |
|
3 |
The Hills |
MTV |
1953 |
|
4 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1832 |
|
5 |
Men In Black 2 |
TBSC |
1816 |
|
6 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1735 |
|
7 |
Oceans Eleven |
TBSC |
1663 |
|
8 |
Psych |
USA |
1588 |
|
9 |
Monk |
USA |
1586 |
|
10 |
Real World XVIII |
MTV |
1577 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank |
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1155 |
USA |
582 |
|
2 |
TBSC |
893 |
TNT |
559 |
|
3 |
TNT |
784 |
TBSC |
519 |
|
4 |
SPK |
666 |
NICK |
473 |
|
5 |
AEN |
662 |
AEN |
441 |
|
6 |
LIF |
646 |
LIF |
431 |
|
7 |
SCIF |
613 |
NAN * |
425 |
|
8 |
CORT |
552 |
SPK |
376 |
|
9 |
DISC |
550 |
DISC |
346 |
|
10 |
CMDY |
526 |
CMDY |
327 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending Feb. 11 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2662 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2429 |
|
3 |
Monk |
USA |
2086 |
|
4 |
Men In Black 2 |
TBSC |
1726 |
|
5 |
Psych |
USA |
1670 |
|
6 |
House |
USA |
1643 |
|
7 |
Oceans Eleven |
TBSC |
1478 |
|
8 |
Montana Sky |
LIF |
1439 |
|
9 |
A Time To Kill |
TNT |
1347 |
|
10 |
Men In Black |
TBSC |
1249 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
