CABLETELEVISION ADVERTISING BUREAU
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CABLETELEVISION ADVERTISING BUREAU
830 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10022 (212) 508-1200
Cable Outdistances the Seven Broadcast Networks in Primetime by 21 Share Points—its Widest-Ever Margin
August 6, 2003
NEW YORK—The all-time audience records that ad-supported cable is setting this summer aren’t standing very long. For the fourth time since the end of May, ad-supported cable broke its all-time share record—hitting 56.6 points in primetime for the latest weekly reporting period, July 28th through August 3rd. According to a Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data for Week #45 of the 2002/2003 TV season, ad-supported cable’s average primetime U.S. household share was up 3.1 points (+5.8 percent) versus the same period last year; and surpassed the collective share of the seven national broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX) by 21 points—cable’s widest margin ever.
Ad-supported cable’s previous all-time high share was 55.6 in Week #42 (July 7-13).
In other primetime audience measures for the week, ad-supported cable was up 2.2 million homes (+7.1 percent), and 1.7 rating points (+5.9 percent); and surpassed the seven broadcast networks combined by 12.1 million homes and 11.3 rating points.
Together, the seven broadcast networks were down 2.4 percent in delivery, 3.5 percent in rating, and 4.0 percent in share.
For the 2002/2003 TV season-to-date (September 23, 2002–August 3, 2003), ad-supported cable leads the seven broadcast networks in primetime share: 48.9 to 46.0.
WEEK #45 PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP: 2002/03 vs. 2001/02 |
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AD-SUPPORTED CABLE VIEWERSHIP VS. BROADCAST |
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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 | |||||||
| 02/03 | 01/02 | %Diff | 02/03 | 01/02 | %Diff | 02/03 | 01/02 | %Diff | |
| Ad-Supported
Cable |
32,801 | 30,619 | + 7.1 | 30.7 | 29.0 | + 5.9 | 56.6 | 53.5 | + 5.8 |
| ABC | 4,124 | 4,417 | – 6.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | – 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.7 | – 7.8 |
| CBS | 5,848 | 5,780 | + 1.2 | 5.5 | 5.5 | NC | 10.1 | 10.1 | NC |
| NBC | 5,312 | 5,648 | – 5.9 | 5.0 | 5.4 | – 7.4 | 9.2 | 9.9 | – 7.1 |
| FOX | 4,040 | 3,817 | + 5.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | + 5.6 | 7.0 | 6.7 | + 4.5 |
| UPN | 1,817 | 1,750 | + 3.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | NC | 3.1 | 3.0 | + 3.3 |
| WB | 2,016 | 1,902 | + 6.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | + 5.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | + 3.0 |
| PAX | 653 | 850 | –23.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | –25.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | –26.7 |
| 4 Bdcst Nets* | 18,039 | 18,448 | – 2.2 | 16.9 | 17.5 | – 3.3 | 31.1 | 32.3 | – 3.7 |
| Weighted Gross | |||||||||
| 7 Bdcst Nets** | 20,682 | 21,196 | – 2.4 | 19.4 | 20.1 | – 3.5 | 35.6 | 37.1 | – 4.0 |
| Weighted Gross | |||||||||
| * ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX | |||||||||
| ** ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX | |||||||||
| Source: Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data, 7/28/03-8/3/03 vs. 7/29/02-8/4/02 | |||||||||
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Content © 2005 by Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (www.onetvworld.org). Reprinted with Permission.