• by Wayne Friedman , December 17, 2015

Commercial TV ratings, mostly from sports programming, help keep results for broadcast networks flat in November, with cable networks witnessing mid-single digit percentage declines.

Nielsen’s live average commercial rating plus three days of time-shifted viewing showed no change in prime-time broadcast networks for November versus the same period a year ago -- 10.35 million average C3 viewership for 18- to-49-year-olds, according to MoffettNathanson Research.

Total day 18-49 results for broadcast witnessed a slight dip of 1% to 6 million.

NBC benefited from “Sunday Night Football,” which had a 3% increase to 3.4 million 18-49 viewers in prime time. Fox scored big results -- 20% higher to 2.5 million, since it had all five World Series games in November.

CBS slipped 1% to 2.3 million, and ABC was down 15% to 2.1 million from lower college football programming viewership.

Cable networks, on average, posted an 8% decline in prime time 18-49 viewers to 18.0 million and a 9% loss in total day 18-49 viewership to 10.6 million.

Time Warner cable networks improved 7% in prime time to 2.7 million 18-49 viewers and 3% in total day to 1.9 million during the period. Its Adult Swim programming gained 51,000 18-49 viewers in C3 for total days during the period, the most of any network.

Scripps Network Interactive grew 4% to 1.0 million 18-49 viewers in primetime and was flat in total day to 630,000. Food Network was one of only five networks to grow in total day C3 viewers, increasing 5,000 18-49 viewers.

Although Viacom continued to lose ground, its Nick at Nite and BET networks were two of the select few improvements in the period as well. Nick at Nite gaining 27,000 total day C3 in 18-49 and BET up 29,000.

Among the top 25 cable networks, the biggest loser was ESPN, down 93,000, followed by USA Network, off 81,000; and A&E Network, down 79,000.

AMC Networks fell 5% in prime time to 1.14 million 18-49 viewers but up 1% in total day programming to 522,000. Viacom dropped 10% to 2.7 million in prime time; and down 5% to 2.14 million in total day.

NBCUniversal cable channels also went south -- down 10% in prime time to 2.4 million and off 14% in total day to 1.1 million. Fox cable networks were 7% lower in prime time to 1.5 million and dropping 13% in total day to 767,000.

Discovery network lost 8% in prime time to 1.7 million and 7% in total day to 1.0 million; Disney networks -- mostly due to big losses in ESPN -- sank 17% in prime time to 2.0 million and 13% in total day to 986,000.

A+E Networks took the biggest hits among the major cable network groups -- losing 20% in prime time to 1.1 million and 23% in total day to 709,000.