USA NETWORK IS #1 IN OCTOBER
USA NETWORK IS #1 IN OCTOBER
NEW YORK, NY - November 1, 2005 - USA Network was the top rated basic cable entertainment network in primetime in October among the key P18-34 (1.0 rating), P18-49 (1.1 rating) and P25-54 (1.1 rating) demos, averaging 2.5 million viewers. Compared to all basic cable entertainment networks, USA had the most nightly wins in October, ranking #1 among both P18-49 and P25-54 on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in prime.
This was the strongest month of October in P18-49 and P25-54 since Nielsen began measuring USA in 1991. USA had double-digit gains versus the same period last year (9/27-10/31/04), improving +24% in households, +27% in P18-34, +25% in P18-49, +18% in P25-54 and +23% in total viewers. As a result, USA saw more real delivery growth over October 2004 than any other basic cable entertainment network among P18-34 (111,000 more viewers), P18-49 (230,000 more viewers) and P25-54 (175,000 more viewers).
The ratings success in October 2005 was driven by the return of WWE's MONDAY NIGHT RAW to USA, as well as LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT and our acquired theatricals, including THE HULK:
- MONDAY NIGHT RAW's premiere at 9p on 10/03/05 was the top rated basic cable entertainment telecast for the month among both key demos (a 3.0 in P18-49 with 3.2 million viewers and a 2.8 in P25-54 with 2.8 million viewers).
- MONDAY NIGHT RAW was the top rated weekly series on cable for the month among key demos: households (4.0 rating with 3.6 million viewers), P18-49 (2.6 rating with 2.7 million viewers), P25-54 (2.4 rating with 2.4 million viewers) and 5 million total viewers.
- MONDAY NIGHT RAW made USA the #1 network in prime each Monday of the month among both P18-49 and P25-54, and WWE telecasts have placed in the top five of all prime cable programs among both P18-49 and P25-54 each week since its return.
- With its first four weeks on USA, MONDAY NIGHT RAW delivered +39% higher among P18-49 and +25% higher among P25-54 than the program's performance on Spike TV during the same four weeks last year. In addition, MONDAY NIGHT RAW is up +14% among P18-49 and up +12% among P25-54 as compared with the show's final four weeks on Spike TV in September 2005.
- USA's Saturday night stack of LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT on 10/15/05 earned record-breaking deliveries, averaging a 1.7 in P25-54 with 3.3 million viewers from 8p-11p, up +43% over the prior 4 week time period average and the highest Saturday prime P25-54 delivery for USA in over three years. The 8p, 9p and 10p telecasts each ranked in the top ten basic cable prime programs for the week, and the 10p telecast ranked in the top 30 for the month.
- USA's THE HULK on 10/30/05 was the top ranked acquired movie in the month of October in both demos, with 1.8 in P18-49 (1.9 million viewers) and 1.9 in P25-54 (1.9 million viewers).
Ten of USA's programs were in the basic cable top 30 telecasts of October 2005 among P25-54: eight (8) hours of WWE's MONDAY NIGHT RAW, one episode of LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT and the acquired theatrical THE HULK.
USA Network is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. USA Network is seen in over 89 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com.
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