Turner Sports and CBS Sports' exclusive live coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV combined to deliver the most viewed first week of the NCAA Tournament in 20 years (1993). The Combined coverage averaged 8.9 million total viewers, up 9% over last year's 8.2 million. The 2013 NCAA Tournament is averaging a 5.8 U.S. HH rating, up 7% from a 5.4 last year. It is the highest average rating for the tournament's first week in 15 years (5.9/15 in 1998).
TBSTBS added yet another week in its win column. Last week, it ranked as basic cable's #1 network in primetime delivery of adults 18-34 and adults 18-49. It continues on pace to finish first in both demos for the quarter, as well.
TBS's newly renewed original comedy series
Cougar Town scored 2.3 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery last week, growing +12% over the prior week's episode. The show also garnered 1.5 million adults 18-49 (+13% vs. the prior week) and 741,000 adults 18-34 (+17%).
Cougar Town combined with telecasts of
The Big Bang Theory to give
TBS 17 of basic cable's Top 20 sitcom telecasts for the week with total viewers and adults 18-49, as well as 13 of the Top 20 with adults 18-34.
truTVDriven by coverage of the first week of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship,
truTV ranked as one of basic cable's Top 10 networks in primetime delivery of men 18-49. It also ranked among basic cable's Top 10 entertainment networks with adults 18-49 (595,000) and men 18-34 (208,000) in primetime. The network chalked up substantial growth compared to the same week last year, with total viewers up 14%, adults 18-49 up 9%, men 18-49 up 32%, adults 18-34 up 24% and men 18-34 up 55%.
truTV original programming also helped fuel the network's success last week. Monday night's episode of
Lizard Lick Towing at 10 p.m. scored a solid 1.9 million viewers. Among truTV's targeted demos,
Lizard Lick Towing ranked as one of basic cable's Top 5 programs in the timeslot with adults 18-49 (1.0 million) and men 18-49 (516,000).
Cartoon NetworkAcross the fourth week of March,
Cartoon Network ranked as the #1 television destination for all boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14 (among all TV) on Thursday night (7-9 p.m.), #1 among boys 6-11 & 9-14 on Monday night (7-9 p.m.) and #1 among boys 9-14 on Wednesday and Friday night (7-9 p.m.).
On Monday night, original animated series
Regular Show (8 p.m.) scored as the #1 telecast of the day among boys 6-11 on all television; similarly, the earlier 7 p.m. telecast ranked as the #1 telecast of the day among boys 9-14.
New episode premieres of
Dragons: Riders of Berk (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), Annoying Orange (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.) and
Incredible Crew (Thursday, 8 p.m.) each ranked #1 in their respective time periods with all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14.
Saturday Morning premiere episodes of Beyblade: Metal Fury (8 a.m.) and Pokemon BW: Adventures in Unova (8:30 a.m.) ranked #1 in their respective time periods among boys 9-14.
Adult SwimThis week's
Adult Swim Total Day performance ranked #1 among adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 and men 18-24, 18-34, & 18-49 on basic cable. Compared to the same week in 2012, Total Day delivery grew significantly among all target demos - adults 18-34 by 12%, adults 18-24 by 22%, adults 18-49 by 8%, men 18-24 by 29%, men 18-34 by 17% and men 18-49 by 11%.
In Prime Time,
Adult Swim ranked #2 among basic cable networks (behind only TBS) for delivery of adults 18-34. Compared to the same week in 2012, Prime delivery increased among adults 18-34 by 18%, adults 18-24 by 32%, adults 18-49 by 8%, men 18-24 by 62%, men 18-34 by 32% and men 18-49 by 15%.
Among the network's original programming, Sunday night's new episode premiere of
Loiter Squad (12 a.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-24 and men 18-24. The series earned remarkable double and triple-digit delivery gains across all young adult and young men demos - ranging between 42% and 107% - vs. the same time period last year. Thursday night's new episode premiere of
Newsreaders (12 a.m.) increased delivery of all targeted men demos vs. last year's time period, ranging between 16% and 38%.
A new episode of Naruto - part of the signature animé action-adventure Toonami block - ranked #1 in its time period among men 18-34 & 18-24. Significantly, all Toonami series earned mostly double and triple-digit increases across key adults and men vs. the same 2012 time period.
Both the Saturday and Sunday episode premieres of
The Cleveland Show (10:30 p.m.) earned double-digit delivery increases across all key adult demos vs. the same 2012 time period.
Adult Swim programming - including
Family Guy and
Robot Chicken - accounted for 21 of the top 50 telecasts on basic cable for the week among adults 18-34, and more than half (26) of the top 50 telecasts among men 18-34, both more than any other network.
TNTLast Monday night's episode of the
TNT original drama Dallas wrangled 3.5 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery. The episode also scored solid demo deliveries, including 1.5 million adults 25-54 and 1.4 million adults 18-49 in Live + 3.
TNT's acclaimed drama
Southland averaged 2.1 million viewers in Live + 3 for last Wednesday night's episode, including 1.0 million adults 25-54 and 900,000 million adults 18-49. Leading into Southland, TNT's new unscripted police drama
Boston's Finest drew 1.2 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery. Among TNT's key demos, the series drew 647,000 adults 25-54 and 617,000 adults 18-49.
NBA TVNBA TV's 19 NBA Fan Night presented by Sprint telecasts are averaging 468,000 total viewers, up 3% compared to last season (455,000 total viewers for 22 telecasts). The NBA Fan Night telecast featuring the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder on March 19 ranks as the sixth most-watched NBA Fan Night game telecast ever among men 18-34 (148,000 total viewers - tied with Miami/Cleveland on March 29, 2011).
