Turner Broadcasting once again scored strong showings last week, with TBS leading the pack as basic cable's #1 entertainment network among total viewers in primetime and ranking among the Top 3 with adults 18-49. In addition, Adult Swim and TBS both landed in the Top 5 for the week among adults 18-34 in primetime, while Adult Swim also scored a Top 10 finish with adults 18-49.
In total day, the Turner Broadcasting portfolio landed four of basic cable's Top 10 networks for the week among total viewers, with Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, TBS and TNT in the mix. Adult Swim also scored a #1 finish with adults 18-34 and adults 18-49, with TBS and Cartoon Network in the Top 10. In addition, Cartoon Network's Teen Titans Go! ranked as the #1 show on television for the week with kids 6-11.
TBS
TBS ranked as basic cable's most-watched entertainment network in primetime last week, driven in part by the network's coverage of the Major League Baseball postseason. TBS also continued to expand its lead as basic cable's #1 network with adults 18-49 in primetime for the year-to-date.
TBS's coverage of the Games 3 and 4 in Major League Baseball's American League Championship Series between Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles ranked among basic cable's Top 10 programs for the week among total viewers, with Tuesday night's Game 3 garnering more than 6 million viewers to rank as the week's #3 program.
TBS's exclusive coverage of the American League throughout the 2014 MLB Postseason averaged 4.3 million viewers for 11 telecasts, making it Turner Sports' most-viewed postseason coverage since 2010 and marking a +3% increase when compared with an average of 4.2 million viewers for 24 games in 2013. TBS also won the night across cable television six times during the 2014 MLB Postseason and delivered growth across all key demos. This year marked the first time in postseason history all three American League series (Division Series and League Championship Series) ended in sweeps. Additionally, approximately only half of TBS's 2014 MLB Postseason games aired in primetime, compared with two-thirds of the network's 24 telecasts airing in primetime windows last year.
TBS's exclusive coverage of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles - the two smallest combined market sizes in ALCS history - averaged 5.1 million viewers for four game telecasts, a +2% increase over the network's six-game NLCS series in 2013 (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals - 5 million viewers). TBS also garnered growth across all key demos during this year's ALCS.
TBS's ALCS coverage airing in primetime this year averaged 6 million viewers and a 3.7 U.S. household rating, +8% and +6% respectively over TBS's primetime telecasts in 2013. TBS's afternoon ALCS telecasts averaged more than 4.1 million viewers and a 2.6 U.S. household rating, +15% and +8% over the network's afternoon windows in 2013. This year's ALCS featured two games airing in primetime and two afternoon telecast windows. In 2013, the network's LCS coverage featured four primetime telecasts and two games airing during the afternoon.
TBS's telecasts of The Big Bang Theory accounted for 14 of basic cable's Top 15 sitcom telecasts for the week among total viewers and adults 18-49.
Cartoon Network
For the third week in a row and the first time since June 2012, Cartoon Network ranked #2 among all television networks for Total Day delivery of kids 6-11 and ranked #1 this week in Total Day delivery among boys 6-11 & 9-14, strongly out-pacing last year's performance among kids 2-11 by 39%, kids 6-11 by 45% and kids 9-14 by 34%.
Teen Titans Go! ranked as the #1 telecast of the week among Kids 6-11 and Boys 2-11/6-11 on ALL TV.
Cartoon Network's on-air programming claimed 9 of television's Top 10 telecasts this week among boys 6-11.
Across the third week of October 2014, Cartoon Network ranked as basic cable's #1 network for Early Prime (6-8 p.m.) delivery of kids 2-11. The Early Prime performance out-delivered last year's showing by strong double digits: kids 2-11 grew by 22%, kids 6-11 by 25% and kids 9-14 by 31%.
Still reigning on Thursday nights, Cartoon Network once again was the #1 television destination among all kids/boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14 on Thursday Night (6-8 p.m.), earning double and triple-digit increases across these same demos, ranging from 65% to 101%.
Saturday Morning programming (7-11 a.m.) continued to earn mostly double-digit delivery gains vs. last year across all targeted demos, ranging between 3% and 93%.
Adult Swim
Across the third week of October 2014, Adult Swim again ranked #1 among all basic cable networks for Total Day delivery of adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 and men 18-24 & 18-34.
Among animated original programming, Mr. Pickles (Sunday, 11:30p) ranked #1 in its time period among men 18-24 and grew delivery among men 18-24 & 18-49. A new episode premiere of Squidbillies (11:45 p.m.) also grew delivery of men 18-24.
Attack on Titans (Saturday, 11:30p) ranked #1 in its time period among all targeted adults and men. One Piece (1a) ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-24/18-34 and men 18-34. Bleach (12a) and Naruto: Shippuden (12:30a) ranked #1 in their respective time periods among adults 18-34. Overall, these four premieres increased delivery among all targeted men vs. last year's time periods.
Adult Swim programming - including Family Guy, American Dad!, Robot Chicken and Aqua Teen Hungerforce - accounted for 22 of the top 50 telecasts on basic cable for the week among adults 18-34, and 22 of the top 50 with men 18-34, both more than any other network.
TNT
Wednesday night's episode of Franklin & Bash has so far reached 3 million viewers across multiple platforms, including the premiere and encore telecasts, the first three days of DVR playback and digital on-demand viewing. TNT will present the season finale of Franklin & Bash tomorrow night.
TNT launched Transporter the Series Saturday night with back-to-back episodes, reaching 2.5 million viewers across the premiere and encore telecasts, as well as first-night DVR and digital on-demand viewing.
This past weekend's episode of TNT's On the Menu has so far reached 2.1 million viewers across multiple platforms, including linear telecasts, DVR playback and digital viewing.
NBA TV
NBA TV is garnering unprecedented viewership increases for its popular Open Court series through the first two episodes leading up to the start of the 2014-15 season. The network is averaging 157,000 total viewers, up 104% over the comparable airings last year. The show is also delivering a +67% increase among men 18-49 over last year.
Additionally, NBA TV's live game telecast featuring the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Oct. 17, averaged 342,000 total viewers, making it the most-viewed NBA preseason game on NBA TV in three years. The network's primetime audience is up 14% among total viewers to-date over last year, with a +16% increase among men 18-49. And the network's total day viewership is up 11% among total viewers vs. 2013 to date.
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