HISTORY(R) BUILDS ON PHENOMENAL GROWTH AND HISTORIC SUCCESS CELEBRATES RECORD AUDIENCES
TELEVISION'S #1 FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK* THE MOST HITS IN ALL OF CABLE SURGES IN SECOND QUARTER TO TOP 3 ACROSS ALL KEY DEMOS
NETWORK AGGRESSIVELY ADDING TO ITS ALL-ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING INVESTMENT: EVENT PROGRAMMING, SERIES AND SPECIALS
Los Angeles, CA, July 27, 2011 - HISTORY(R), the #1 factual entertainment network*, currently Top Three in key demos among both scripted and unscripted ad supported cable networks and on track to have its best year ever in 2011, today announced it will continue aggressively adding, epic event programming, series and specials to its roster.
Says Nancy Dubuc, President & GM, HISTORY, "HISTORY's investment in original programming has paid off, making us a leader in the market. Unlike our competitors, who rely largely on sports and off-network programming, HISTORY has catapulted to the top on the strength of all original programming. We are a network that is defining the landscape, setting the trends and breaking records night after night, month after month, quarter after quarter. We are at the top of our game. HISTORY is honored to be in business with the leading creative talent in the industry. We continue to partner on innovative, full-360, multi-platform initiatives that engage our viewers at every level."
The network's all-original programming slate continues to create unique destinations for a broad audience of adult and male viewers. Most recently HISTORY announced a four year commitment to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which launched on Memorial Day with the critically acclaimed, highly rated GETTYSBURG, executive produced by Tony Scott & Ridley Scott.
This Fall HISTORY will commemorate the tenth anniversary of September 11 with a powerful and poignant lineup of 9/11 documentaries, which will air commercial-free, a global simulcast of the Emmy-award winning 102 Minutes That Changed America and a partnership with the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
In addition this fall, the network will premiere VIETNAM IN HD, the follow up to the Emmy(R) Award winning WWII IN HD. VIETNAM IN HD, an epic six-hour docudrama, will immerse viewers in the sights, the sounds and the stories of the Vietnam War in a way that's never been done before. Emmy-nominated actor Michael C. Hall will narrate the special.
Currently in development for 2012 is HISTORY's next big programming event THE MEN WHO BUILT AMERICA. The miniseries shines a spotlight on the influential builders, dreamers and believers whose feats transformed the United States, a nation decaying from the inside after the Civil War, into the greatest economic and technological superpower the world had ever seen. THE MEN WHO BUILT AMERICA is the story of a nation at the crossroads and of the people who catapulted it to prosperity.
In 2010, HISTORY ventured into new territory with TOP SHOT and TOP GEAR to great success. TOP SHOT, the network's first competition series featuring legendary feats of amazing marksmanship, will premiere season three on Tuesday, August 9 at 10pm EST. TOP GEAR recently returned and will be airing every Sunday 10pm this summer. The first season of TOP GEAR attracted the youngest men in the network's history and nearly 60 million viewers overall.
RATINGS AND RESULTS
Second quarter of 2011 was HISTORY's best ever, in all key demos. Bolstered by the success of the network's investment in new and returning original programming - American Pickers, American Restoration, Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars, Swamp People and Top Shot as well as the premiere of the epic special, Gettysburg - HISTORY experienced double digit growth and averaged over 1 million Adults 25-54 with its numerous hit series.
HISTORY is the first non-fiction network (excluding sports) in cable history to ever average over 1 million Adults 25-54 for a quarter. And, competitively, the network ranked in the top 3 among all key demos (Adults 25-54, Adults 18-49, Men 25-54 and Men 18-49) for the first time ever.
The secret of the network's success has been its amazing ability to retain its traditional core demographic, while making huge in-roads in attracting younger viewers. In 2011, HISTORY is up at least 25% across all key demos from last year's record year. Driving the channel's success is the arsenal of hit programs. In fact, HISTORY has more shows delivering at least 1.5 million viewers among Adults 18-49 and 25-54 than any other cable network, including PAWN STARS, AMERICAN PICKERS, SWAMP PEOPLE, AMERICAN RESTORATION and AX MEN.
HISTORY attracts upscale audiences, ranking #3 so far this year among Adults 25-54 in households with annual income of $100,000 or more (up from #8 in 2010).
2011 to date, PAWN STARS and AMERICAN PICKERS rank as the #1 and #3 series in all of cable among Adults 25-54 and are enjoying year to year growth.
All of the network's returning series continue to strengthen as all 6 thus far in 2011 are enjoying record best years within Adults 25-54 vs. 2010:
PAWN STARS - 3.4 million Adults 25-54, up +26% vs. 2010 and +127% vs. 2009
AMERICAN PICKERS - 2.8 million, up +27% vs. 2010
SWAMP PEOPLE - 1.9 million, up +12% vs. 2010
AX MEN - 1.7 million, up +21% vs. 2010
TOP SHOT - 1.2 million, up +9% vs. 2010
TOP GEAR - 847,000, up +7% vs. 2010
HISTORY has expanded its dominance throughout the week with the success of ONLY IN AMERICA WITH LARRY THE CABLE GUY and TOP SHOT on Tuesday nights, SWAMP PEOPLE on Thursday and AMERICAN RESTORATION on Friday to add to the powerful Sunday and Monday lineup. In fact, HISTORY is up every single night of the week vs. 2010.
June 2011 was HISTORY's best month ever among A25-54-averaging over 1.1 million impressions. For the first time ever, the network ranked #1 in primetime among all cable network with Men 18-49, as well as among Men 25-54. History finished #2 among A18-49 and A25-54. HISTORY had the #1 show in cable on 3 nights of the week among Adults 25-54 (2+ telecasts, excludes sports):
Monday - PAWN STARS
Thursday - SWAMP PEOPLE
Friday - AMERICAN RESTORATION
2011-12 SLATE OF PROGRAMMING
In addition to previously announced new series for 2010-2011, HISTORY's new slate of programming includes:
GREENLIT SERIES
INVENTION USA (FALL 2011)
It is often the common man inventing his dream that has changed history. INVENTION USA focuses on Reichart Von Wolfshield and Garrett Lisi, two brilliant tech and science experts who travel America, devoted to finding the next great thing in the haystack of prototypes presented to them by amateur inventors. Produced for HISTORY by T Group Productions.
FULL METAL JOUSTING
In FULL METAL JOUSTING, a maverick group of fighters compete for top honors in the most dangerous competition in history. Far from the contrivances of the Renaissance Fair, this is authentic, full-contact jousting, with two competitors on horses charging towards each other at 30 miles an hour. Gone is the traditional armor, replaced by state-of-the-art protective gear. Each week's episode features full-contact trials and preparations that will ultimately determine the champion-king of the joust. Produced for HISTORY by Pilgrim Films & Television.
UNITED STATS OF AMERICA
Numbers tell amazing stories. Every second we record raw data on everything from the calories we eat to the energy we use, from the number of texts we send to the amount of money we make. Using innovative graphics, UNITED STATS OF AMERICA will crunch all this data and visualize these surprising facts about who we are in a surprising new way. Produced for HISTORY by Left/Right Productions.
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SERIES
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 WAYS
In this groundbreaking new series, all forms of transportation will be celebrated as our adventure-seeking hosts "Boston Rob" Mariano (Survivor, The Amazing Race) and Dennis Anderson (creator of the monster truck Gravedigger) battle each other, as well as the elements, in a go-for-broke race around the globe. The catch? The two rivals will have to use 80 uniquely different modes of transportation throughout the race, along the way giving a unique glimpse at how far transportation has come and where it's headed. Produced for HISTORY by Thom Beers' Original Productions, a FremantleMedia company.
RETURNING SERIES
AMERICAN PICKERS - produced by Cineflix Productions
ANCIENT ALIENS - produced by Prometheus Entertainment
AX MEN - produced by Original Productions
BRAD MELTZER'S DECODED - produced by Go Go Luckey and Berman Braun
ICE ROAD TRUCKERS - produced by Original Productions
IRT: DEADLIEST ROADS - produced by Original Productions
MODERN MARVELS - produced by HalfYard Productions and Jupiter Entertainment
ONLY IN AMERICA WITH LARRY THE CABLE GUY - produced by Pilgrim Films & Television and Parallel Entertainment
PAWN STARS - produced by Leftfield Pictures
STAN LEE'S SUPERHUMANS - produced by Off the Fence
SWAMP PEOPLE - produced by Original Media
THE UNIVERSE - produced by Flight 33 Productions
TOP GEAR - produced by BBC Worldwide Productions
TOP SHOT - produced by Pilgrim Films and Television
GREENLIT SPECIALS
HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN TWO HOURS
From the producers of Life After People and The Universe, this CGI-driven special will give viewers a rapid fire history of our world, from the beginning of time as we know it to present day. The special will delve into the key turning points: the formation of earth, emergence of life, spread of man and the growth of civilization. Each beat in the story will reveal a surprising connection to our world today. Produced for HISTORY by Flight 33 Productions.
9/11: THE DAYS AFTER
From the moment the Twin Towers fell, 9/11 was seen as a watershed, a historical turning point of epic, irreversible proportions. 9/11: THE DAYS AFTER, premiering Saturday, Sept. 10, builds upon the foundation laid by the Emmy-Award winning 102 MINUTES THAT CHANGED AMERICA - chronicling the days, weeks and decade after the worst terrorist attack in our history - to examine the legacy of 9/11. With exclusive and rarely seen, unexpected archival material from around the world, the special will construct an evocative, engaging and immersive narrative capturing the themes and threads that define life after 9/11. The result is an authentic, unflinchingly honest look at what happened after the tragedy - a chronicle of life in a changed world. Produced for HISTORY by New Animal Productions.
VOICES FROM INSIDE THE TOWERS
At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, American Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Within minutes a deluge of telephone calls flooded into the outside world. VOICES FROM INSIDE THE TOWERS, a two-hour special premiering on Friday, Sept. 9, at 9 p.m. ET, brings an "inside" perspective to what happened through phone calls made by some who later died and some who survived. While there is a significant visual record of what happened outside the Towers that day, this film - for the first time - provides a moving and emotional record of what was going on inside the Towers.
VIETNAM IN HD - COMING THIS FALL
Following up to the Emmy Award winning WWII in HD, HISTORY is currently in production on VIETNAM IN HD. Once again, the network has embarked on a worldwide search to bring never-before-seen footage and gripping personal accounts to the story of the Vietnam War. As the United States' first "television war", thousands of hours of uncensored footage detail every critical moment both overseas and at home. First person accounts from those who served will immerse viewers into their experiences in the terror of battle as well as their mixed emotions on returning home. The series tells the story of a war that was won on the battlefield but lost at home. Produced for HISTORY by Lou Reda Productions.
HISTORY(R) and HISTORY HD(R) are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, American Restoration, Ice Road Truckers, Top Gear, Pawn Stars and Top Shot, as well as acclaimed specials including Gettysburg, America the Story
of Us, WWII in HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America and Life After People. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, seven Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's signature initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics.
* Source: The Nielsen Company. Rank based on all non-fiction cable nets (excluding sports nets), 12/27/10-4/24/11 Live+SD AA (000), M-Su 8-11, P2+. Non-Fiction = 90%+ of prime schedule consists of non-fiction programming.
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