• by Wayne Friedman , April 3, 2015

The top 10 cable networks took a general dip in overall prime-time viewers in the first quarter of 2015 versus the same period a year before -- down 6.5% in average viewers.

The average total viewership of the top 10 networks in prime time was 1,612,600 viewers in the first quarter of 2015 versus 1,724,500 prime-time viewers in the first quarter of 2014.

Top network ESPN grew 3.5%, per Nielsen, to 2.191 million viewers from 2.116 million. The network benefited from having the first high-rated college football playoffs after the first of the year.

TBS also gained — 2.3% more, to 1.993 million from 1.949 million. HGTV also perked up — 10.2% — to 1.466 million from 1.317 million. Discovery rose 9.3% to 1.465 million from 1.34 million.

On the losing end: USA Network (down 16.9%), TNT (off 16.2%), History (sinking 25%), A&E (losing 28.6%), Fox News (off 4.4%), AMC (slipping 3.6%). USA Network, which had the top spot in the first quarter a year ago with 2.186 million viewers, sank to 1.816 million.

New to the list this year was FX, which took in 1.095 million viewers. But FX was down 15.3% from 1.293 million from the first quarter of 2014. Off the top 10, A&E dropped to 955,000 viewers from 1.337 million.