TBS Wins the Week as Basic Cable's #1 Network with Adults 18-34

Continuing its march toward an expected first-place finish with young adults for the first quarter of 2013, TBS once again won the week as basic cable's #1 network with adults 18-34 in primetime.

The TBS original comedy Cougar Town scored 2.2 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery for last Tuesday's episode, including 1.4 million adults 18-49 and 629,000 adults 18-34. In time-shifted viewing, Cougar Town's Feb. 19 episode has grown to a final tally of 2.8 million viewers in Live + 7, with 1.8 million adults 18-49 and 806,000 adults 18-34.

TBS's competition series King of the Nerds closed out its first season Thursday night with 1.8 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery. The season finale, in which Celeste was crowned the winner and allowed to take her place on the "Throne of Games," also brought in 1.2 million adults 18-49 and 595,000 adults 18-34, matching last week's performance.

Telecasts of The Big Bang Theory on TBS accounted for 18 of basic cable's Top 20 sitcom telecasts for the week with total viewers and adults 18-49, as well as 15 of the Top 20 with adults 18-34.

TBS's late-night series Conan averaged 791,000 total viewers in Live + Same Day and 511,000 adults 18-49. Conan also drew 271,000 adults 18-34.

Cartoon Network

Across the second week of March 2013, Cartoon Network ranked as basic cable's #1 network for Early Prime (7-9 p.m.) delivery of boys 6-11 & 9-14, and #1 for Total Day delivery of boys 9-14.

Cartoon Network scored last week as the #1 destination for all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14 among all TV on Monday and Thursday Night (7-9 p.m.), while the #1 network among boys 6-11 on Wednesday and Saturday Night.

An all-new episode of Adventure Time (Monday, 7:30 p.m.) was the #1 telecast of the week with boys 6-11 & 9-14, the #1 telecast of the day among kids 6-11 and all boys, and #1 in its time period among kids 6-11 & 9-14 and all key boys. The episode premiere also grew by mostly double-digits across key kids and boys vs. the same time period last year. Similarly, new episodes of Regular Show (8 p.m.) and MAD (8:30 p.m.) were #1 in their respective time periods among all boy demos.

Thursday night's episode of Annoying Orange (7:30 p.m.) was the #1 telecast of the day among boys 6-11, while Incredible Crew (8 p.m.) was the #1 telecast of the day among boys 9-14.

The Saturday morning action-adventure line-up of Beyblade: Metal Fury (8 a.m.), Pokemon BW: Adventures in Unova (8:30 a.m.), and Ben 10: Omniverse (9 a.m.) ranked #1 in their respective time periods among boys 9-14.

Adult Swim

For the second week of March, Adult Swim's Total Day Delivery 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 by impressive double digits: adults 18-24 by 31%, adults 18-34 by 21%, adults 18-49 by 18%, men 18-24 by 34%, men 18-34 by 28% and men 18-49 by 21%.

Adult Swim also ranked #2 (behind TBS) among basic cable networks for Prime Time delivery of adults 18-34. Versus the same week in 2012, Prime delivery grew across the board: adults 18-24 grew by 34%, adults 18-34 by 23%, adults 18-49 by 19%, men 18-24 by 64%, men 18-34 by 45% and men 18-49 by 24%.

The season 2 premiere of Adult Swim's original live-action series, Loiter Squad (Sunday, 12 a.m.) ranked #1 in its time period with adults 18-24/18-34 and men 18-24/18-34, growing by double and triple-digits across the board--ranging between 55% and 106%--vs. the same time period year ago

The highly anticipated season finale of Delocated (Thursday, 12:30 a.m.) ranked #1 in its time period with adults/men 18-24, growing by double-digits across key adults and men, ranging between 12% and 103%, vs. the same time period year ago.

Thursday's new episode of Newsreaders (12 a.m.) ranked #1 in its time period with all key adults and men 18-24/18-34, growing across key adults and men vs. the same time period year ago. Average adults 18-34 grew by 4%, adults 18-24 by 23%, adults 18-49 by 3%, men 18-34 by 30%, men 18-24 by 34% and men 18-49 by 24%.

Adult Swim programming - including Family Guy, Robot Chicken and American Dad-- accounted for 21 of the top 50 telecasts on basic cable for the week with adults 18-34 and 24 of the top 50 telecasts with men 18-34, both more than any other network.

TNT

The March 4 episode of TNT's hit drama Dallas drew 3.6 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery, up 6% compared to the prior week's episode. In the demos, Dallas drew 1.5 million adults 25-54 and 1.2 million adults 18-49.

Wednesday night's episode of the TNT original drama series Southland garnered 2.3 viewers in Live + 3, a +19% increase compared to the prior week's episode. In the demos, the latest installment of Southland garnered 1.1 million adults 25-54 in Live + 3 (+22% vs. the prior week). Also on Wednesday, the second episode of TNT's new series Boston's Finest, which drew 1.5 million viewers in Live+ + 3, including 688,000 adults 25-54 and 559,000 adults 18-49.

TNT's Sunday 8 p.m. telecast of the Clint Eastwood hit Gran Torino ranked as the week's #1 movie on basic cable with the network's targeted adults 25-54 demo.

The NBA on TNT featured the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, March 5, which delivered a 2.2 U.S. HH rating and 3,339,000 total viewers to become the top-ranked program of the day across all of television among men 18-34. It was also the top-ranked program versus ad-supported cable among key demos including adults 18-34, adults 18-49, men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54.

Additionally, the NBA on TNT telecast on Thursday, March 7, between the Thunder and New York Knicks garnered a 1.8 U.S. HH rating and 2,736,000 total viewers to register as the top-ranked program of the day versus ad-supported cable among men 18-49.

truTV

truTV enjoyed a strong week, scoring 5% growth in primetime among total viewers over the same week last year.

truTV's Lizard Lick Towing revved things up Monday night, drawing a total audience of 22. million viewers (+14% vs. the prior week). Among truTV's key demos, the show garnered 1.2 million adults 18-49 (+17% vs. last week) and 649,000 men 18-49 (+14%).

truTV's hit series Full Throttle Saloon capped its fourth season with 1.9 million viewers, a boost of +29% over last week's episode. Among key adult demos, Full Throttle Saloon garnered 1.1 million adults 18-49 (+24% vs. last week) and 570,000 men 18-49 (+11%). For its fourth season, Full Throttle Saloon has averaged 1.9 million viewers, 1.2 million adults 18-49 and 675,000 men 18-49 in Live + 7 delivery through the first nine episodes

truTV's new hit Guinness World Records(R) Gone Wild! garnered 1.2 million viewers in Live + Same Day delivery Thursday night. Among key demos, the series grew considerably over the prior week's episode, bringing in 719,000 adults 18-49 (+16% vs. last week) and 417,000 men 18-49 (+15%). Competitively, Guinness World Records(R) Gone Wild! ranked as one of ad-supported cable's Top 5 programs in Thursday 8 p.m. timeslot with adults/men 18-49, as well as among adults/men 18-34. In addition, the show was also the #1 unscripted program in its timeslot with men 18-49, men 18-34 and adults 18-34. And it scored a remarkably low median age of only 30, 11 years younger than the same timeslot last year.

NBA TV

NBA TV's Sunday telecast (March 10) featuring the Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat, the teams with the best records in the Eastern Conference, averaged 764,000 total viewers to become the network's second most-watched regular season game ever (trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers to open the 2012-13 season with 868,000 total viewers). Through March 10, NBA TV has delivered three of its five most-watched telecasts ever this season.

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