The following was issued by the USA Network.
USA Network’s 3Q11 Most Watched Quarter In History In All of Cable Entertainment
NEW YORK – September 27, 2011 – USA continues to re-write the record books with the hottest 3rd quarter ever on cable, delivering more total viewers (3.51 million) than any network on cable ever has in a 3Q11. For the first time ever for cable entertainment network in any quarter, USA broke the 3.5 million mark in total viewers.
USA sizzled this quarter, shining above every cable competitor in P25-54 (1.45 million, +38% over #2 TNT), P18-49 (1.35 million, 46% over #2 History Channel), total viewers (3.51 million, +31% over #2 Disney Channel), and households (2.67 million, +40% over #2 TNT). USA was the only cable network to average over 1 million in P18-49, 3 million total viewers, or 2 million households was one of only two with over half a million P18-34 (584,000). USA earned the top household coverage rating in 3Q11’s basic cable prime (2.67, +0.76 over #2 TNT).
No cable network has ever seen as large a margin of victory over the #2 network in any quarter than USA did in 3Q11 in households while USA’s victory in P18-49 was second only to what was seen in 2Q97 and those in P25-54 and total viewers were the largest since 1Q09.
USA is up +5% in P25-54, +7% in P18-49, +4% in P18-34, +8% in total viewers, and +9% in households in 3Q11 than in 3Q10 using parallel Most Current data year to year.
USA won the total day crown this quarter as well in P25-54 (601,000, 15% over #2 TNT) and P18-49 (575,000, 9% over #2 Nickelodeon).
USA was the house of hits this quarter with seven original series each averaging over 2 million in P25-54, 1.5 million in P18-49, half a million in P18-34, 5 million total viewers, and 4 million households. Further, most of these titles have over 2.5 million in P25-54, 2.5 million in P18-49, 1 million in P18-34, 6 million total viewers, and 4.5 million households.
USA’s slate of hits this quarter easily outshines the performances of originals on either TNT or History Channel, averaging 2.90 million in P25-54 (+18% more than TNT’s / +43% more than History Channel), 2.66 million in P18-49 (+31% / +43%), 1.15 million in P18-34 (+73% / +42%), 6.36 million total viewers (+6% / +67%), and 4.77 million households (+8% / +78%).
COVERT AFFAIRS and WHITE COLLAR were the top two series on cable Tuesdays this quarter among total viewers (CA 6.91 million / WC 5.83 million) and households (5.11 million / 4.35 million) while COVERT AFFAIRS was #1 among P25-54 (3.20 million). No other scripted series on television with new episodes Tuesdays this quarter delivered over 3 million in P25-54 (3.20 million / 2.70 million), 2 million in P18-49 (2.89 million / 2.60 million), 5 million total viewers, or 4 million households.
With Royal Pains and NECCESSARY ROUGHNESS, USA was the only cable network with a show delivering over 7 million total viewers (RP 7.22 million / NR 5.62 million) or 4 million households (5.40 million / 4.32 million) Wednesday nights this quarter. No other network aired a scripted series on television Wednesdays this quarter to over 2 million in P25-54 (3.28 million / 2.51 million), 2 million in P18-49 (2.96 million / 2.29 million), or 1 million in P18-34 (1.23 million / 870,000).
Burn Notice and Suits were the top two scripted series on television Thursdays this quarter among P25-54 (BN 3.14 million / Suits 2.97 million), P18-49 (2.88 million / 2.84 million), and P18-34 (1.28 million / 1.35 million) and the top scripted series on cable for the night in total viewers (6.73 million / 6.12 million), and households (4.94 million / 4.62 million). These were the #2 and #3 scripted originals on television this quarter in all of television for M18-49.
IN PLAIN SIGHT was the only ad-supported scripted series on television Sundays this quarter to deliver over 3 million total female viewers and was second only to ABC in this demo when it aired this quarter in its Sunday 10pm timeslot. IPS outperformed CBS head to head this quarter for P18-49, P25-54, P18-34, total viewers, and households. Season 4 of In Plain Sight grew +14% in P25-54, +17% in P18-49, +19% in P18-34, +11% in total viewers, and +13% in households from Season 3.
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW made USA the #1 entertainment network in all of television in its Monday 9pm-11pm time period among M18-34 and total males, coming in behind only FOX for M18-49 entertainment viewers as well as beating CBS in P18-49 and P18-34. WWE Raw delivered +3% more total viewers and+ 8% more P18-34 in 3Q11 than it had in 3Q10.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.