BET's 'The Game' Scores 5.3 Million Viewers in Season Premiere

‘Let's Stay Together' Garners 3.5 Million In Sophomore Season Debut

by R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 1/11/2012 4:23:42 PM

While it fell short of last year's record-setting premiere, BET's season five premiere of The Game still scored with viewers.

The series, which chronicles the lives of characters revolving around a fictional pro football team, averaged 5.3 million viewers in its Jan. 10 season five debut, according to Nielsen. The tally was below the series'  January 2011 season four BET premiere, which drew a 7.7 million viewers -- a record for a cable comedy series debut. (Broadcast network CW aired the first three seasons of the series.)

The Game's  season five debut stands as BET's top telecast of the year and cable's top scripted series telecast among adults 18-49, averaging 3.9 million viewers in the demo, said BET.

The network's scripted series Let's Stay Together drew 3.5 million viewers in its sophomore season premiere last night, down from last year's premiere of 4.4 million viewers.