TBS Tops the Charts as Basic Cable's #1 Entertainment Network

By: Oct. 01, 2013
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TBS topped the charts as basic cable's #1 entertainment network with adults 18-49 for the month of September. The network also scored a win in that demo for the final week of September.

TBS has experienced strong growth in Q3 2013, posting a +9% increase among total viewers and adults 18-49 compared to Q3 2012. Among adults 18-34, TBS is up a remarkable +15% vs. Q3 2012.

TBS's Primetime growth is even stronger for the month of September, with increases of +20% among total viewers, +19% among adults 18-49 and +25% among adults 18-34 compared to September 2012. TBS also scored across-the-board growth in total day for the month, including +5% among total viewers, +8% among adults 18-49 and +13% among adults 18-34.

The Big Bang Theory on TBS ranked as basic cable's #1 off-net comedy for the quarter, month and final week of September in delivery of total viewers and adults 18-49.

Adult Swim

Throughout September 2013, Adult Swim's average Total Day Delivery ranked #1 on basic cable among adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 and men 18-24 & 18-34. Compared to September 2012, Total Day delivery grew by strong double digits across all targeted demos: adults 18-24 by 23%, adults 18-34 by 23%, adults 18-49 by 21%, men 18-24 by 27%, men 18-34 by 20% and men 18-49 by 20%.

Compared to the same time period in 2012, average Primetime delivery in September also expanded by significant double-digits - adults 18-24 by 16%, adults 18-34 by 24%, adults 18-49 by 16%, men 18-24 by 21%, men 18-34 by 20% and men 18-49 by 16%.

Among Adult Swim's original programming, the animated series Aqua TV Show Show (Sunday, 12 a.m.) and Squidbillies (Sunday, 12:15 a.m.) both ranked #1 in their respective time periods among adults 18-34. Aqua TV Show Show also increased average delivery vs. the prior year among all targeted adults. China, IL (Sunday 11:30 p.m.) increased average delivery among adults 18-24 & 18-49 and men 18-24 vs. the same time period last year.

Premiere episodes of original series Childrens Hospital (Thursday, 12 a.m.) increased average delivery among all targeted adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 (between 8% and 19%) and men 18-24 & 18-34 (between 3% and 10%) vs. the same time period last year. NTSF:SD:SUV:: increased audience delivery across the board by double digits (between 12% and 50%) vs. the same time period last year.

In September 2013, Adult Swim programming accounted for 16 of the top 50 telecasts on basic cable for the week among adults 18-34, more than any other network.

TNT

With its lineup of high-profile original series, popular off-net dramas and sports, TNT finished Q3 2013 as basic cable's #1 full-time network in total day delivery of adults 25-54. TNT grew its total day delivery for the quarter by +6% among total viewers compared to Q3 2012. The network has also delivered slight increases among adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 for the quarter.

TNT's hit dramas Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies and Perception each rank among basic cable's Top 10 series for the third quarter in delivery of total viewers, giving TNT more series in the Top 10 than any other network. In key demos, Falling Skies and Rizzoli & Isles rank among basic cable's Top 5 series with adults 25-54 and among the Top 5 scripted series with adults 18-49.

When it comes to individual episodes, TNT claimed 17 of basic cable's Top 25 drama telecasts for Q3 2013 among total viewers, with 11 spots going to Rizzoli & Isles and six going to Major Crimes. On the demo front, TNT accounted for 13 of basic cable's Top 25 drama telecasts for the quarter with adults 25-54, with Falling Skies claiming four spots and Rizzoli & Isles claiming nine.

With its lineup of high-profile original series, popular off-net dramas and sports, TNT grew its total day delivery for the quarter by +6% among total viewers compared to Q3 2012. The network has also delivered slight increases among adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 for the quarter.

Last Tuesday's episode of the real-life investigation series Cold Justice has so far garnered more than 1.5 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery, including nearly half a million adults 25-54. Meanwhile, the Sept. 10 series premiere of Cold Justice chalked up a final tally of 2.8 million viewers in Live + 7, with 1.0 million adults 25-54.

Also in Live + 7, the summer finale of Rizzoli & Isles averaged 8.3 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, including 3.0 million adults 25-54. The show also averaged 8.3 million viewers in Live + 7 for the summer overall, an increase of +5% over summer 2012.

Cartoon Network

Across September 2013, Cartoon Network ranked as television's #1 network for Early Prime (7-9 p.m.) delivery of targeted boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14. Versus August 2013, the network's Early Prime performance increased among all kid demos - kids 2-11 grew by +8%, kids 6-11 by +6% and kids 9-14 by +11%.

Cartoon Network was the #1 television network this September among all targeted boys on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Nights (7-9 p.m.), and #1 among boys 6-11 & 9-14 on Saturday Night. Friday Night (7-9p) also increased delivery vs. the same time period last year among kids 2-11 & 6-11 and boys 6-11.

Original Animated series Uncle Grandpa scored as the #1 program of the day (Monday) among all targeted boys, with premiere episodes of the series increasing delivery of kid demos (between 3% and 13%) and boys 2-11 & 6-11 (between 1% and 5%). Premiere episodes of the Emmy-winning Regular Show (Monday, 7:30 p.m.0) and Adventure Time (Monday, 7 p.m.) both ranked #1 in their respective time periods among boys 6-11 & 9-14, increasing average delivery by double-digits among targeted kids and boys - ranging between 10% and 40% - vs. the same time period last year.

Total Drama All-Stars (Tuesday, 7 p.m.) ranked as the #1 program of the day among all targeted boy demos, and #1 in its time period among kids 9-14 & all boys.

Saturday morning saw average delivery increases among all kids and boys demos vs. the prior year, with Tenkai Knights (7:30 a.m.), Beyblade: Shogun Steel (8 a.m.) and Pokémon BW: Adventures in Unova (8:30 a.m.) ranking #1 in their time periods among boys 9-14.

truTV

truTV's hit series Hardcore Pawn (Tuesday at 9 p.m.) scored more than 2 million viewers, with 908,000 adults 18-49 and 507,000 men 18-49. The show ranked as one of basic cable's Top 5 programs in the timeslot in all three categories.

truTV's popular Lizard Lick Towing (Monday at 9 p.m.) averaged 1.3 million viewers last week, ranking it as one of ad-supported cable's Top 5 programs in its timeslot with men 18-49 (351,000) and among the Top 5 cable entertainment programs with total viewers and adults 18-49 (696,000). It also yielded a median age of only 38, eight years younger than the same timeslot a year ago. In addition, Lizard Lick Towing sparked truTV to a Top 10 finish for the night among ad-supported cable's entertainment networks.

The growth keeps coming for truTV.com. Last week, truTV's online destination drew 1.4 million visits, a +16% increase over the same week last year. In addition, the site delivered 7.8 million page views (+6% vs. same week last year), with 1.2 million daily unique visitors (+10%) and 379,000 video starts (+34%).



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