CABLETELEVISION ADVERTISING BUREAU
830 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10022 (212) 508-1200

Back to Web Site

Ad-Supported Cable's Primetime Lead Over Broadcast Reaches a Season High in Week #39

June 25, 2003

Ad-supported cable outperformed the seven broadcast networks combined by 17.1 primetime share points in Week #39 (June 16-22) of the 2002/2003 TV season—the widest margin between the two media since the season’s launch last September. According to a Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data, ad-supported cable recorded an average primetime U.S. household share of 54.0 for the week versus 36.9 for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB and PAX collectively. This is 20th consecutive summer week (since the beginning of the 2002 summer viewing period) that cable has surpassed the 50-share mark.

The broadcast networks’ aggregate share is their lowest of the season-to-date.

In other primetime audience measures for Week #39, ad-supported cable topped the seven broadcast networks by almost 10 million homes—another season high—and 9.3 rating points.

WEEK 39 PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP: 2002/2003
AD-SUPPORTED CABLE VIEWERSHIP VS. SEVEN BROADCAST NETWORKS*
Primetime=Mon thru Sat 8–11pm/Sun 7–11pm
	U.S. HH DELIVERY (000)	U.S. HH RATING	U.S. HH SHARE
Ad-Supported Cable	31,613	29.6	54.0
7 Broadcast Networks	21,625	20.3	36.9

*ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, WB, PAX Weighted Gross

Source: Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau analysis of Nielsen data, 6/16/03-6/22/03

# # #

Content © 2005 by Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau (www.onetvworld.org). Reprinted with Permission.