Summer's strong cable
viewing period is getting to be a mixed picture -- with fewer top networks making gains in the initial weeks of the period.
From May 26 through July 17, only five of 20 networks showed
overall prime-time ratings improvement versus the previous period: History, AMC, Syfy, MTV and FX are the winners. Those on the losing end include USA, TNT, TBS, and ESPN.
History continues its
blockbuster ways -- which began at the beginning of the TV season, now rocketing 42% this summer to a Nielsen average of 2.14 million prime-time viewers -- all thanks to big reality shows, including
"American Pickers" and "Pawn Stars."
FX also added on some 21% in viewers, now at 1.40 million average prime-time viewers. Syfy adds 4% to 1.19 million.
AMC moves up 6% to 1.14 million
from its slate of growing dramas; MTV also shows some nice gains, up 17% to 787,000 average prime-time viewers, with "Jersey Shore" and "Teen Mom" doing the heavy lifting. Heading south are some of
the bigger players.
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Industry leader USA Network has drifted 4% lower to 3.03 million average prime time. TNT has also slipped a bit -- 6% -- to 2.22 million. Discovery Channel (not yet in its
Shark Week mode) has lost 15% to 1.189 million. ESPN has dropped 16% to 1.192 million. TBS declined 21% to 1.190 million.
OWN's troubles continue -- still unable to match the numbers of
Discovery Health a year ago, now at 244,000 viewers -- down from 250,000 during the same period in 2010.
Other notable declines: Bravo was down 11% to 742,000; Food Network, off 8% to 1.104
million; and ABC Family shrank 7% to 1.363 million.