USA Network Hypes Biggest Year Ever

Posted by Larry Csonka on 12.10.2009

Raw gets mentioned…

- The USA Network sent out the following press release today, hyping their biggest ratings year ever…

USA Delivers Best Year in Cable Ever- Again

BURN NOTICE #1 Series in P18-49 & P25-54;

ROYAL PAINS and WHITE COLLAR Top New Original Series

Widest Margin Of Victory Ever Over Second Ranked Cable Network

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – December 10, 2009 – USA continued its dominance over the cable landscape in 2009, delivering more primetime P25-54, total viewers, and households than any cable network (basic or pay) in history, while delivering more P18-49, P18-34 and the largest household coverage rating ever in basic cable. For a fourth straight year, USA was the #1 network in cable prime, delivering more P25-54 (1.50 million, +36% over #2 TNT) and P18-49 (1.38 million, +29% over #2 ESPN) than any other network. USA was also the top network for 2009 in cable prime among total viewers (3.29 million, +29% over #2 Disney Channel,) households (2.44 million, +31% over #2 Disney Channel) and P18-34 (613,000, +3% over #2 TBS); the network also delivered the highest household coverage rating (2.47, +0.56 over #2 Disney Channel).

Among basic cable networks, USA enjoyed the widest margins of victory ever over the second ranked network among P25-54, P18-49, and households and the best since 1994 in total viewers.

USA also won the total day crown in 2009, delivering more P25-54 (706,000, +9% over #2 TNT) and P18-49 (656,000, +9% over #2 TNT) than any other cable network. No cable network has ever averaged as many P25-54 over the course of a year's total day as USA has in 2009. This was USA's first total day victory in P25-54 since 1995 and its first P18-49 victory since 1999.

USA performed like a broadcast network this year, beating the CW by double digits in P25-54 (+61%), P18-49 (+33%), total viewers (+85%), and household delivery (+79%) in prime (Mon-Sun 8P-11P). This marks USA's second year beating a broadcaster among P25-54 and P18-49, a feat no other cable network has accomplished.

USA is the home to seven successful original scripted series: BURN NOTICE, ROYAL PAINS, WHITE COLLAR, PSYCH, IN PLAIN SIGHT, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and the record-setting final season of MONK. Most of the Top 50 P25-54 and P18-49 entertainment telecasts of 2009 were the above USA originals (28 of the top 50 P25-54 and 26 of the top P18-49), as well as the most watched weekly series on cable, WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW. No other network placed more than 8 telecasts in the year's top 50 for either demo.

* USA's BURN NOTICE and ROYAL PAINS were the top two original series in basic cable prime this year and the only ones to draw over 3.5 million in P25-54 or 3 million in P18-49. These two series claimed nine of the top ten P25-54 scripted telecasts in basic cable prime for 2009, shutting out prior powerhouse TNT's "The Closer."

* BURN NOTICE's 2009 performance made it the most watched scripted series ever in basic cable among P18-49 (3.27 million). BURN NOTICE also claimed the year's top spot among P25-54 (3.61 million).

* Proving again that USA is the home to new hits, the network's ROYAL PAINS was the #1 new original series of the year, ranking second to BURN NOTICE, for P25-54 (3.56 million), P18-49 (3.15 million). ROYAL PAINS also came in second among total viewers (7.47 million), and households (5.29 million).

* ROYAL PAINS was the top-ranked new series in cable history, delivering more P25-54, P18-49, P18-34, and total viewers than the freshman year of any other scripted series in history.

* WHITE COLLAR debuted in style, coming in second only to sister series ROYAL PAINS among the year's newest cable originals in delivering P25-54, P18-49, total viewers, and households.

* After eight successful seasons on the air, the series finale of the USA Original MONK set records as the most-watched basic cable original drama series telecast of all time. Hitting series highs for its final episode, a rare feat in the TV landscape shared by only an elite group of iconic series, the finale brought in 9.4 million total viewers, beating the prior series high by +37%

* WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW drew more P25-54 (2.63 million), total viewers (5.48 million), and households (3.70 million) than in any year since 2002. WWE RAW dominates cable in its Monday 9P-11P timeslot, drawing more P18-49, P25-54, P18-34, total viewers, and households than any other entertainment network. WWE RAW grew in every category in 2009, capturing +9% more P25-54, +4% more P18-49, +9% total viewers, and +12% households than in 2008.

* The three most watched acquired series in cable prime in 2009 were USA's NCIS, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, and HOUSE. These three titles drew more P25-54 (NCIS 1.43 million / SVU 1.20 million / House 1.18 million), total viewers (NCIS 3.50 million / SVU 2.73 million / House 2.48 million), and households (NCIS 2.69 million / SVU 2.19 million / House 1.90 million) than any other acquired property on cable. These were the only acquired series to draw over 2.5 million total viewers, or 2 million households.