Discovery Channel Hits 12-Year High in Viewership

During 2013 to date, Discovery Channel delivered its highest total viewership, and ratings in key demos, in 12 years; the channel also established a new ratings record for men. Additionally, SKYWIRE WITH NIK WALLENDA was the #1 live event on cable for the year and Shark Week delivered its highest rated and most watched year. Discovery also had 11 series that averaged more than two million total viewers in 2013.

For 2013 to date (Dec. 31, 2012 - Dec. 15, 2013) among Total Viewers P2+, Discovery delivered its best year since 2001 with an increase of +5% vs. the same time period in 2012. The channel also had its best year since 2001 in Persons 18+, up 2% vs. 2012. Additionally, Discovery had its best year ever among Men 18+, up +3% vs. 2012.

Across the key demo, Discovery showed an increase of +6% in Persons 25-54 ratings and was also up +10% in Women 25-54 and +5% in Men 25-54 vs. the same time period in 2012. The channel once again staked its claim as a top 10 cable network in the highly prized Persons 25-54 demo, landing at #6 for the year among ad supported cable networks.

This year, Discovery had 11 series that averaged more than two million total viewers (P2+) each, and 33 series that averaged more than one million total viewers, up from 31 series in 2012. This year's regular series that continued to fuel Curiosity and attract millions of viewers included GOLD RUSH, grabbing the top spot for the year as the channel's #1 series in 2013 to date with an average of 3.4 million total viewers. Rounding out the top five were Naked And Afraid (2.9m), Deadliest Catch (2.8m), Amish Mafia (2.5m) and both Gold Rush - SOUTH AMERICA and FAST N' LOUD with 2.4m.

SKYWIRE WITH NIK WALLENDA captivated viewers and smashed television, live, social media and digital ratings records, and delivered 13 million total viewers for the walk, dominating cable as the #1 live event in 2013. The live telecast also generated 1.3 million tweets on the day it aired, June 22, and had the special ranking as the #1 most social show across broadcast and cable in the U.S. according to Bluefin Signals, SocialGuide and Trendrr. SKYWIRE WITH NIK WALLENDA became the third highest-rated telecast of all-time in Discovery Channel history.

Shark Week 2013 was the most-watched Shark Week in the event's 26 year history across all key demos including Persons, Men and Women 25-54/18-49/18-34 delivery, no exclusions, from August 4-10. SHARK WEEK's first-ever late-night talk show, Shark After Dark, was a triumph and beat popular talk shows in the coveted Persons 18-34 delivery, including Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, TBS' Conan, Bravo's Watch What Happens Live and E!'s Chelsea Lately. Shark Week 2013 also dominated social media and became Discovery's most social programming event to date, generating more than 2.6 million Tweets from August 4-10, up +63% vs. 2012. With 11 Worldwide and 15 U.S. Trending Topics on Twitter, every Shark Week premiere in 2013 trended as the tooth-filled lineup was a fixture every night in Prime Time.

Source: Nielsen. NHI Calendar. 2013YTD (12/31/12-12/15/13). Prime (8-11p). Program-based rank. #1 among HH and P2+ delivery! excluding sports.

Source: Nielsen. NHI Calendar. 1999-2013. Prime (8-11p). Program-based Time Period Network Rank. Discovery Channel.

Source: Nielsen. NPower. DISC. Shark Week. Mon-Sun, 8/5/13-8/11/13. 8p-11p. Sun-Sat, 8/4/13-8/10/13. 8p-11p. Cume. 6min Qual.