Basic’s Best Networks Post Tepid November Numbers
Networks Register Declines, Flat Performances During Primetime
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 11/28/2007 2:10:00 AM MT
The top basic cable networks weren’t exactly primed in primetime during November.
Among the medium’s upper echelon only two, TBS and MTV, posted average household ratings gains from Oct. 29 through Nov. 25, according to a Disney ABC Cable Networks analysis of Nielsen Media Research data.
Of the 15 network in or sharing a place in the top 10 for Nielsen’s November period, only six registered advances, while seven were off and six were flat against the corresponding month last year.
Led by its pro and college football programming, ESPN finished first with a 2.3 household average in primetime, but its mark was down 12% from a 2.6 last November.
Sister service Disney Channel was second, even with a 2.2 average, 0.1 point ahead of USA Network. The “characters” service matched its year-earlier Nielsen household ratings grade.
Drama proponent TNT ranked fourth, down 12% to a 1.5 from a 1.7, while its “very funny” corporate cousin TBS improved 8% to a 1.4 from a 1.3.
Fox News Channel (even), Nick at Nite and Hallmark Channel (both off 8%) all finished with a 1.2 average in November.
Seven networks scored a 1.0 average, with MTV, ahead 25%, the only gainer in the group. FX, Spike TV and Court TV were all flat against November 2006, but Cartoon Network, A&E Network (both down 17%) and Lifetime (off 9%) lost ground against their year-earlier performances.
There were similar trends afoot on a total-day basis. Among the leaders, only USA, which was third with a 1.1 household average, showed amelioration—10% growth, according to the Disney ABC rankings.
Otherwise, perennial metric leader Nickelodeon recorded a 5% decrease to a 1.8 from a 1.9, while Disney Channel was flat again at a 1.3. Nick at Nite, which matched USA’s 1.1 mark, finished even for month, as did ESPN at a 1.0. For its part, TNT sustained a 10% decline in posting its 1.0 average.
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