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Cable Kicks-Off Summer Viewing Period with its Highest Primetime Share of the Season
Ad-Supported Cable Outperforms the Broadcast Networks by More than 15 Share Points
June 4, 2003
Picking up where it left off last summer when it scored 16 consecutive weeks of 50+ primetime shares, ad-supported cable kicked-off the 2003 summer viewing period with its highest share of the 02/03 TV season (which began in September). According to a Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data for Week #36 (May 26–June 1), cable recorded an average primetime U.S. household share of 54.3, a gain of 2 points (+3.8 percent) versus the same period last year. Its edge in primetime share over the seven broadcast networks combined was also its highest for the total TV season-to-date: 15.5 points. The broadcasters’ aggregate primetime share of 38.8 was their lowest for the 2002/2003 season-to-date.
In other primetime measures for the week, ad-supported cable had an average primetime U.S. household delivery of 32.8 million homes, up 1.7 million (+5.4 percent) versus last year; and a rating of 30.8, up 1.3 points (+4.4 percent). Cable topped the seven broadcast networks collectively by 9.4 million homes and 8.8 rating points.
Individually among the national broadcast networks, NBC experienced the biggest audience decline in the first week of the 2003 summer viewing period—posting 20+ percent losses in all primetime audience measures.
WEEK 36 (FIRST WEEK OF SUMMER PERIOD) |
PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP: 2002/03 vs. 2001/02 |
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AD-SUPPORTED CABLE VIEWERSHIP VS. BROADCAST |
Primetime=Mon thru Sat 8–11pm/Sun 7–11pm |
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U.S. HH DELIVERY (000) |
U.S. HH RATING |
U.S. HH SHARE |
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02/03 |
01/02 |
%Diff |
02/03 |
01/02 |
%Diff |
02/03 |
01/02 |
%Diff |
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Ad-Supported |
32,824 |
31,129 |
+ 5.4% |
30.8 |
29.5 |
+ 4.4% |
54.3 |
52.3 |
+ 3.8% |
Cable |
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ABC |
4,860 |
4,377 |
+11.0 |
4.6 |
4.1 |
+12.2 |
8.1 |
7.4 |
+ 9.5 |
CBS |
6,775 |
6,590 |
+ 2.8 |
6.3 |
6.2 |
+ 1.6 |
11.2 |
11.1 |
+ 0.9 |
NBC |
6,106 |
7,679 |
–20.5 |
5.7 |
7.3 |
–21.9 |
10.1 |
13.1 |
–22.9 |
FOX |
4,180 |
3,463 |
+20.7 |
3.9 |
3.3 |
+18.2 |
6.9 |
5.9 |
+16.9 |
UPN |
1,792 |
1,975 |
– 9.3 |
1.7 |
1.9 |
–10.5 |
2.9 |
3.3 |
–12.1 |
WB |
2,154 |
2,185 |
– 1.4 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
– 4.8 |
3.5 |
3.6 |
– 2.8 |
PAX |
800 |
897 |
–10.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
–11.1 |
1.3 |
1.5 |
–13.3 |
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4 Bdcst Nets* |
20,591 |
21,007 |
– 2.0 |
19.3 |
19.9 |
– 3.1 |
34.1 |
35.5 |
– 3.9 |
Weighted Gross |
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7 Bdcst Nets** |
23,429 |
24,064 |
– 2.6 |
22.0 |
22.8 |
– 3.7 |
38.8 |
40.6 |
– 4.4 |
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, 5/26/03-6/1/03 vs. 5/27/02-6/2/02 |
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