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Ad-Supported Cable Takes Steam Out of Broadcast Premieres in First Official Week of 2003/2004 Television Season
Cable Has Closed Opening Week Share Gap by 19 Points in Four Years and is Now Running Almost Neck-and-Neck With the Broadcast Ne
October 1, 2003
Ad-supported cable ran virtually neck-and-neck with the seven broadcast networks in primetime viewership during the first official week of the 2003/2004 television seasona period in which the broadcast networks premiered 60 primetime shows. According to a Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data for September 22-28, ad-supported cable recorded an average primetime U.S. household share of 47.5 versus 49.9 for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB and PAX combined.
The primetime share gap between ad-supported cable and the broadcast networks in the seasons first official week has progressively diminished by almost 19 points in four years: from a difference of 20.9 points in 1999/2000 to only 2.4 points in 2003/2004.
For the week, ad supported cable was up 9 percent (versus the same period last year) in primetime U.S. household delivery, 7.4 percent in rating, and 6.7 percent in share. Collectively, the seven broadcast networks were down 1.2 percent in delivery, 2.7 percent in rating, and 3.1 percent in share.
Individually, five of the seven national broadcast networks experienced across-the-board audience declines during the seasons first official week, with NBC posting the largest absolute losses.
FIRST OFFICIAL WEEK OF TV SEASON: |
PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP |
2003/2004 vs. 2002/2003 |
AD-SUPPORTED CABLE VIEWERSHIP VS. BROADCAST |
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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03/04 |
02/03 |
%Diff |
03/04 |
02/03 |
%Diff |
03/04 |
02/03 |
%Diff |
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Ad-Supported |
31,437 |
28,837 |
+ 9.0 |
29.0 |
27.0 |
+ 7.4 |
47.5 |
44.5 |
+ 6.7 |
Cable |
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ABC |
7,577 |
7,004 |
+ 8.2 |
7.0 |
6.6 |
+ 6.1 |
11.5 |
10.9 |
+ 5.5 |
CBS |
10,085 |
9,702 |
+ 3.9 |
9.3 |
9.1 |
+ 2.2 |
15.2 |
15.0 |
+ 1.3 |
NBC |
9,058 |
9,521 |
4.9 |
8.4 |
8.9 |
5.6 |
13.7 |
14.7 |
6.8 |
FOX |
4,312 |
4,750 |
9.2 |
4.0 |
4.5 |
11.1 |
6.5 |
7.2 |
9.7 |
UPN |
2,837 |
2,988 |
5.1 |
2.6 |
2.8 |
7.1 |
4.2 |
4.5 |
6.7 |
WB |
2,491 |
2,767 |
10.0 |
2.3 |
2.6 |
11.5 |
3.7 |
4.1 |
9.8 |
PAX |
608 |
913 |
33.4 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
33.3 |
0.9 |
1.4 |
35.7 |
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4 Bdcst Nets* |
29,663 |
29,539 |
+ 0.4 |
27.4 |
27.7 |
1.2 |
44.8 |
45.6 |
1.8 |
Weighted Gross |
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7 Bdcst Nets** |
33,080 |
33,476 |
1.2 |
30.5 |
31.4 |
2.7 |
49.9 |
51.5 |
3.1 |
Weighted Gross |
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* ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX |
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** ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX |
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Source: Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data, 9/22/03-9/28/03 vs. 9/23/02-9/29/02 |
AD-SUPPORTED CABLE HAS CLOSED |
FIRST WEEK PRIMETIME SHARE GAP |
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AD-SUPPORTED CABLE |
7 BROADCAST NETWORKS |
DIFFERENCE |
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U.S. HH SHARE |
U.S. HH SHARE |
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Week #1 2003/2004 |
47.5 |
49.9 |
2.4 |
Week #1 2002/2003 |
44.5 |
52.5 |
8.0 |
Week #1 2001/2002 |
44.3 |
53.1 |
8.8 |
Week #1 2000/2001 |
39.8 |
57.7 |
17.9 |
Week #1 1999/2000 |
39.0 |
59.9 |
20.9 |
Source: Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data
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