In broadcast's big week, cable won out

winning premiere week for a second year!

By Abigail Azote Sep 28, 2005

The broadcast networks went gaga promoting their new shows to kick off the new season. But all the pomp and pageantry was not enough to steal viewers away from cable networks. Basic cable more than held its own against the broadcast networks in a time that’s usually one of broadcast’s strongest, premiere week.

For the week ended Sept. 25, the first full week of the new season, ad-supported cable averaged a 43 share among viewers 18-49 in primetime, compared to the 41 share by the six broadcast networks. Cable’s share was up 5 percent from the comparable week last season, while broadcast’s was down 7 percent.

The difference is more dramatic among households. Cable had a 54 share versus broadcast’s 45, representing a 20 percent difference between the two. This is the second year in which cable surpassed broadcast during premiere week. Says Lifetime executive vice president of research Tim Brooks: “Clearly, cable viewership isn’t even impacted by broadcast premieres.”

At least some of the credit for last week's viewing surge goes to Hurricane Rita, which drove up audience numbers for all the news networks. Fox News was the top-ranked cable network among households last week.

“People now habitually turn to cable for coverage of a breaking story,” says Brooks. “That, added to the strength of entertainment cable networks, is what’s driving the strong showing for cable.”

“It’s just a continuation of what happened the last year,” Ira Sussman, vice president of research for the Cable TV Ad Bureau, says.

Other factors that contributed to cable’s strong performance last week include the premiere of FX’s “Nip/Tuck,” which averaged a network record 5.3 million total viewers last Tuesday and outdelivered ABC among 18-49s, and ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” special to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Meanwhile, in other cable ratings for the week ended Sept. 25:

Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): ESPN, USA, TNT, TBS, FX

Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): ESPN, Fox News, CNN, USA, TNT

Top movie (18-49s): TBS’s “The Waterboy” (Sunday 11 a.m.) 1.55 million

Top sporting event (total viewers): ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football” (Sunday 8:28 p.m.) 9.75 million

Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football” (Sunday, 8:28 p.m.); FX’s “Nip/Tuck” (Tuesday, 10 p.m.); Spike’s WWE Entertainment (Monday, 10 p.m.); ESPN’s NFL Game: Giants v. Saints (Monday, 8:50 p.m.); Spike’s WWE Entertainment (Monday, 9 p.m.); ESPN’s NFL Prime Time (Sunday, 7:30 p.m.)

Show on the rise: Yankees vs. Orioles, YES Network, Thursday, 7 p.m. There is something on cable that can beat “CSI,” at least in one market: With the New York Yankees in the playoff race, the YES Network drew huge ratings in New York among men 18-49 and 25-54 last week, culminating in Thursday’s game with the Orioles. The network outdelivered ABC, NBC, CBS and UPN that night, with a 4.6 men 18-49 rating and 5.0 men 25-54 rating.

Show on the decline: “Sportscenter,” ESPN, Sunday, 11:50 p.m. As the football season gets underway, “Sportscenter” will get a boost in ratings. But Sunday the ESPN show was down 11 percent from the week prior, to 2.1 million viewers 18-49.

Third quarter ratings: Katrina also boosted the news networks during third quarter. Though TNT was tops in primetime with 1.16 million viewers 18-49 and 2.7 million total viewers, the news networks saw some of the biggest gains.

Fox News rose 24 percent over last year in 18-49s, to a 14th-place 504,000, and placed second among total viewers at 2.27 million, up 29 percent over last year. CNN was 13th among total viewers with 1.13 million, up 28 percent, and 24th in 18-49s with an average 321,000, up 65 percent. CNN Headline News and MSNBC tied with an average 421,000 total primetime viewers, though Headline News was up 108 percent and MSNBC just 12 percent.

Oddly, the Weather Channel was down 12 percent to an average 513,000 total viewers.

Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s post-primetime lineup from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily except Friday, averaged a basic cable record 408,000 18-34s and also set a record among men 18-34 with 252,000.