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Another First: Ad-supported Cable Tops Broadcast in Primetime Viewership for Month of November
Cable's Lead Is Boosted By 6-Point Share Edge Over The Seven Broadcast Networks During Thanksgiving Week
December 4, 2003
Further expanding its dominance of calendar year TV viewing, ad-supported cable for the first time ever surpassed the primetime audience levels of the seven national broadcast networks combined for the month of November. This is the earliest monthly advantage for cable during a new season.
According to a Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data for the month of November, ad-supported cable recorded an average primetime U.S. household delivery of 32.9 million homes (+11.3 percent versus the same period a year ago); a 30.4 rating (+9.7 percent); and a 49.3 share (+8.6 percent). The seven broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX) combined had a primetime delivery of 32.2 million homes (0.7 percent); a 29.7 rating (2.2 percent); and a 48.1 share (3.8 percent).
For the month, ad-supported cable topped the four largest broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) collectively in primetime by 4.4 million homes, 4 rating points and 6.5 share points.
Cables viewership advantage in November was helped by a strong Thanksgiving Week (November 24-30), in which it posted a 51.4 primetime share compared to 45.0 for the seven broadcast networks together.
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AD-SUPPORTED CABLE VIEWERSHIP VS. BROADCAST |
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Primetime=Mon thru Sat 811pm/Sun 711pm |
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U.S. HH DELIVERY (000) |
U.S. HH RATING |
U.S. HH SHARE |
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2003 |
2002 |
%Diff |
2003 |
2002 |
%Diff |
2003 |
2002 |
%Diff |
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Ad-Supported Cable |
32,935 |
29,588 |
+11.3 |
30.4 |
27.7 |
+ 9.7 |
49.3 |
45.4 |
+ 8.6 |
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ABC |
6,997 |
7,217 |
3.0 |
6.5 |
6.8 |
4.4 |
10.5 |
11.1 |
5.4 |
CBS |
9,913 |
8,916 |
+11.2 |
9.1 |
8.4 |
+ 8.3 |
14.9 |
13.7 |
+ 8.8 |
NBC |
7,860 |
8,792 |
10.6 |
7.3 |
8.2 |
11.0 |
11.8 |
13.5 |
12.6 |
FOX |
5,089 |
5,262 |
3.3 |
4.7 |
4.9 |
4.1 |
7.5 |
8.0 |
6.3 |
UPN |
2,917 |
3,195 |
8.7 |
2.7 |
3.0 |
10.0 |
4.2 |
4.7 |
10.6 |
WB |
2,801 |
2,607 |
+ 7.4 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
+ 8.3 |
4.1 |
3.9 |
+ 5.1 |
PAX |
758 |
948 |
20.0 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
22.2 |
1.1 |
1.5 |
26.7 |
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4 Bdcst Nets* |
28,583 |
28,497 |
+ 0.3 |
26.4 |
26.7 |
1.3 |
42.8 |
43.7 |
2.1 |
Weighted Gross |
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7 Bdcst Nets** |
32,237 |
32,461 |
0.7 |
29.7 |
30.4 |
2.2 |
48.1 |
50.0 |
3.8 |
Weighted Gross |
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Source: Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data, 11/1/03-11/30/03 vs. 11/1/02-1/30/02 |
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