Broadcast Fare Ups Adult Viewers, Ad-Supported Cable Dips

Broadcast networks have finally made some gains in the summer versus cable networks -- although the time spent viewing cable shows is still up since the first of the year.

ABC has led the broadcasters with some strong summer programming, including "Wipeout" and "The Bachelorette," which pushed the network's ratings up 21% among 18-49 viewers and 22% in total viewers. NBC rose 2% in 18-49; Fox was up 3%; while CBS slipped 8%.

All this gave broadcasters a 5% improvement among 18-49 viewers and a 3% increase for viewers overall -- this according to Turner Broadcasting research.

Ad-supported cable networks suffered a rare decline in the summer, down 3% among 18-49 viewers and flat summer-to-summer versus total viewers. Good news for the top cable networks: They were up 1% in 18-49 viewership and 4% higher in total viewership.

This seems like a glitch to the cable industry's overwhelming summer TV news over the past few years. But longer-term trends, according to Turner, still bode well for the business. The average time spent with cable TV shows -- per person per week -- has now climbed to 17.3 hours, from 16.9 in 2009. The four broadcast networks have stayed flat at 7.8 hours. Overall, total TV viewing is now at 34 hours from 33.6 a year ago.

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USA Network and TNT are the No. 1 and No. 2 most-viewed networks in key viewership groups for cable this summer. USA Network posted an average 3.4 million total viewers with 1.3 million 18-49 viewers; TNT had 2.5 million total viewers and 950,000 18-49 viewers.

After USA Network and TNT in the summer 18-49 race comes TBS at 887,000; Discovery at 795,000; and History at 745,000. In the race for total viewers, after USA and TNT, Fox News was in third at 1.9 million; History, 1.620 million; and Nick At Nite, 1.618 million.

TNT's Rizzoli & Isles

TNT's "Rizzoli & Isles" is not only the best-rated new cable show among all viewers, but the best-rated cable show overall, with 8.1 million total viewers. Among new cable shows, USA Network's "Covert Affairs" came in at second place with 6.3 million viewers; TNT's "Memphis Beat" at 4.4 million; TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" at 4.0 million; and A&E's "The Glades" at 3.7 million.

In the key 18-49 demo race -- important to a majority of TV advertisers -- the best new show was USA Network's "Covert Affairs" at 2.7 million viewers; TNT's "Rizzoli" was at 2.3 million; ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars", 1.568 million; TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland", 1.564 million; and TBS' "Are We There Yet," 1.5 million.

Among the returning shows in the 18-49 race, MTV's "Jersey Shore" is in first place at 3.8 million, followed by Discovery's "Deadliest Catch" at 3.6 million; History's "Pawn Stars" at 3.3 million; USA's "Burn Notice" at 2.89 million; and "Royal Pains" at 2.8 million.

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