TBS's coverage of the Major League Baseball Postseason helped score several strong rankings for the network this past weekend. Friday night, TBS ranked as television's #1 network in primetime with men 18-49 and as a Top 5 network with adults 18-34, adults 18-49 and men 18-34. In Saturday primetime, TBS ranked among television's Top 5 networks with total viewers and key adult and male demos. And on Sunday, TBS was among television's Top 5 networks in primetime delivery of viewers, men 18-34 and men 18-49.
As of today, the MLB Postseason on TBS and TNT will feature at least three League Division Series Game 4 match-ups, with Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies @ St. Louis Cardinals all headed to fourth games to determine the winner of their respective series.
Last night, TBS delivered a 4.8 metered-market rating for the network's exclusive coverage of American League Division Series Game 3 between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers, up 30% over Yankees/Twins Game 3 in 2010.
TBS's CONAN is on a roll with its third consecutive week of audience growth. Last week, the Emmy(R)-nominated series averaged 756,000 viewers (+5% over the previous week). Demo growth was especially strong, with a remarkable 27% jump among adults 18-34 (320,000) and an 11% boost with adults 18-49 (516,000). In time-shifted viewing, CONAN grew its audience for the week of Sept. 12 by 15% in total viewers for a final Live + 7 tally of 799,000. Adults 18-34 grew by 21% to 395,000, and adults 18-49 grew by 18% to 566,000.
Adult Swim
Adult Swim's newest original series NTSF:SD:SUV:: (Thursday, 12:15 a.m.) scored mostly double-digit delivery gains vs. the same time period last year among targeted demos: adults 18-34 (476,000) grew by 11%, adults 18-49 (718,000) grew by 28%, men 18-34 (317,000) grew by 29% and men 18-49 (465,000) grew by 43%. Additionally, the series premiere of CHINA, IL (Sunday, 12 a.m.) posted solid delivery growth among men 18-34 (300,000/ up 6%) and men 18-24 (184,000/ up 15%).
Over the first week of October 2011, Adult Swim once more claimed the #1 network ranking for Total Day Delivery among adults 18-34, adults 18-24, men 18-34 and men 18-24 (#2 among adults and men 18-49, behind ESPN). Achieving significant delivery growth across all targeted demos vs. the same week last year, adults 18-34 (593,000) increased by 9%, adults 18-24 (326,000) increased by 12%, men 18-34 (358,000) increased by 7% and men 18-24 (205,000) increased by 12%. Adults 18-49 delivery (760,000) also grew by 6% and men 18-49 (449,000) by 3%.
Adult Swim programming - including FAMILY GUY, ROBOT CHICKEN, AMERICAN DAD and Aqua Teen Hunger Force - accounted for 26 of the top 50 telecasts for the week on basic cable among adults 18-34, and 25 of the top 50 among men 18-34, both more than any other network.
Cartoon Network
For the first week of October 2011, Cartoon Network's Monday and Tuesday nights (7-9 p.m.) both ranked #1 on all television among boys - 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14. Monday also ranked #1 among kids 9-14. Both nights achieved solid delivery growth among all kids and boys demos. Tuesday night, in particular, earned double-digit gains (28% - 43%) across the board vs. the same time period last year: kids 6-11 average delivery (500,000) increased by 33%, kids 2-11 (714,000) increased by 31%, kids 9-14 (373,000) increased by 36%, boys 6-11 (399,000) increased by 28%, boys 2-11 (549,000) increased by 33%, and boys 9-14 (316,000) increased by 43%.
Among individual series, ADVENTURE TIME (Monday, 8 p.m.) was the #1 telecast of the day among kids 6-11 and 9-14, and ranked #1 in its time period among all kids and boys demos. THE LOONEY TUNES SHOW (Tuesday, 8 p.m.) was #1 in its time period among all boys demos, and earned double- and triple-digit increases vs. the same 2010 time period across the board. And THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.) was the #1 telecast of the day among boys 6-11 and 9-14, and ranked #1 in its time period among all boy demos - it, too, earned double- and triple-digit growth across all demos.
On Friday night, the animated action-adventure series BEN 10: ULTIMATE ALIEN (7:30 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among boys 9-14, and earned significant growth (2% - 21%) across all kids and boys demos. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (8:30 p.m.) also achieved delivery increases among kids 9-14, boys 2-11 and boys 9-14 vs. the 2010 time period.
TNT
TNT's blockbuster series The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles finished their summer seasons with continued success in time-shifted viewing. According to final Live + 7 data, the summer finale of The Closer chalked up 8.5 million viewers, with 2.3 million adults 18-49 and 2.9 million adults 25-54. The summer finale of Rizzoli & Isles scored 8.3 million viewers, with more than 2.4 million adults 18-49 and 3.1 million adults 25-54.
Rizzoli & Isles and The Closer, basic cable's top two dramas of all time, are chalking up solid growth over last season. For the first leg of its seventh and final season, The Closer averaged 8.7 million viewers in Live + 7 (+2% vs. last season), with 2.4 million adults 18-49 (+6%) and 3.2 million adults 25-54 (+3%).
In its second season, Rizzoli & Isles continued its reign as basic cable's #1 drama, with 8.9 million viewers in Live + 7 (+2% vs. last season). Rizzoli & Isles also averaged 2.5 million adults 18-49 and 3.3 million adults 25-54. Rizzoli & Isles and The Closer will return this winter, with new episodes beginning Monday, Nov. 28.
truTV
Last week, truTV ranked among basic cable's Top 10 entertainment networks in delivery of two key demos: men 18-34 and men 18-49. The network continues to score growth among the younger set, with adults 18-34 up 10% and men 18-34 up a remarkable 18%, compared to the same week last year.
truTV's breakout hit Hardcore Pawn blasted to the top of the charts as basic cable's #1 program in the Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot with adults 18-49 (1.1 million) and landed among cable's Top 5 shows for the time period with viewers (2.1 million), adults 18-34 (600,000) and key male demos.
Lizard Lick Towing drew 1.4 million viewers Monday at 9:30 p.m., ranking among cable's Top 5 entertainment programs in its timeslot with adults 18-49 and key male demos.
Drawing 1.5 million viewers Wednesday at 9:30 p.m., Operation Repo ranked among basic cable's Top 5 entertainment programs in its timeslot with adults 18-49 and men 18-34.
Acquired hit Wipeout continued to make a splash last week, with the Friday 8 p.m. episode averaging 1.3 million viewers and ranking among cable's Top 5 programs in the timeslot with key adult demos.
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