• by Wayne Friedman , January 2, 2014

On a calendar year basis, many top-ten cable networks posted yearly losses -- increasingly mirroring declines among their big broadcast network competitors.
For example, USA Network was down 8% in total average prime-time viewers to 2.68 million, according to Nielsen. ESPN was down 6% to 2.21 million; History slipped 2% to 2.11 million; TNT was off 5% to 2.07 million; Fox News was off 13% to 1.79 million; ABC Family went south 11% to 1.22 million; Syfy was off 8% to 1.19 million; and Food Network lost 7% to 1.12 million viewers.

Some networks were on the rise: Disney Channel inched up 2% to 2.44 million; TBS added on 3% to 2.01 million; FX improved 4% to 1.47 million; Discovery climbed 5% to 1.36 million; and HGTV grew 7% to 1.27 million. A resurgent Lifetime was also able to point up: 7% to 1.27 million.

Greater rates of growth -- those posting near or over double-digit percent increases -- could be found at AMC, resulting from its large stable of high-rated shows, such as  “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead.” It was 18% higher to 1.38 million. Hallmark Channel was up 14% to 866,000. Discovery’s “Animal Planet” rose 12% to 757,000.