or


[01/07/13 - 12:33 PM]
Premiere Episode of "Downton Abbey, Season 3" on Masterpiece Classic Quadruples Average PBS Primetime Rating
PBS spins the numbers for Sunday, January 6.

[via press release from PBS]

Premiere Episode of "Downton Abbey, Season 3" on Masterpiece Classic Quadruples Average PBS Primetime Rating

- 7.9 Million Viewers Tuned In For Premiere -

ARLINGTON, VA; January 7, 2013 - PBS and WGBH announced today that the premiere of MASTERPIECE CLASSIC "Downton Abbey, Season 3" captivated viewers nationwide, building on the love affair with the series that started two years ago. An average audience of 7.9 million viewers tuned in for Sunday's premiere. (Nielsen Fast National data, 5.1 household rating.) The third season premiere of the Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) Award-winning series, a Carnival/MASTERPIECE co-production, quadrupled the average PBS primetime rating, and exceeded the average rating of the second season premiere of "Downton Abbey" by 96 percent (based on metered market averages).

Between 9:00-11:00 p.m., PBS was the second-most watched broadcast network on Sunday. Highest local-market ratings were at member stations KCTS-Seattle (9.6 rating, 17 share), WGBH-Boston (8.8/14), KLRU-Austin (8.1/13) and WNET-New York (8.0/12).

"Downton Abbey' continues to enthrall audiences nationwide, and this season is especially riveting with the addition of Shirley MacLaine to the cast and the lively interaction between her and Maggie Smith," said PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger. "I'm so pleased that audiences have returned to 'Downton Abbey' on their local stations to continue to enjoy some of the best drama on television."

"The well-loved characters that made Season 2 the most-watched series in MASTERPIECE history continue to delight us," said MASTERPIECE executive producer Rebecca Eaton. "I'm thrilled to see so many viewers return to the Crawley family's delicious drama and intrigue."

The new season, which rejoins the story as the Great War is over and the long-awaited engagement of Lady Mary and Matthew is on, will be available on the PBS Video Portal after each national broadcast for a limited time (watch the season premiere here). All three seasons can be purchased on shoppbs.org, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox, Google Play, and Vudu.

Beginning Wednesday, December 26, "Downton" fans were given the opportunity to watch a sneak preview of the opening minutes of Season 3 on the PBS and MASTERPIECE Facebook pages. Available for only two weeks, the preview apps earned more than 150,000 fan views. The frenzy on Facebook grew on January 6, with more than 42,500 user "likes" and 5,000 shares on a single post asking if they were excited about the premiere.

Fans continue to engage with the show and each other on Twitter, as PBS and MASTERPIECE insiders - as well as moderators from Austenprose (@austenprose), The Daily Beast (@televisionary), Tom and Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo) and Vulture (@vulture) - host live discussions during each broadcast. According to SocialGuide Intelligence, the conversation for Downton Abbey garnered nearly 100,000 tweets during the premiere evening. In addition, since January 1, there have been more than 20,500 individual check-ins to "Downton Abbey" using the GetGlue entertainment social network, with a social media reach of more than 8.5 million people.

To engage viewers in the series' premiere, more than 110 local PBS stations hosted premiere screenings in December and January, collectively drawing more than 30,000 fans. Stations from New Hampshire to Hawaii created events ranging from high teas to history lectures to costume contests.

Since the premiere of "Downton Abbey, Season 1" on January 9, 2011, the critically acclaimed series has gained popularity across a diverse audience and has been honored with nine Primetime Emmy(R)Awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Dame Maggie Smith). It has also garnered a Golden Globe(R) Award for Best Miniseries, a PGA (Producers' Guild of America) Award and a TCA (Television Critics Association) Award.

"Downton Abbey" is a Carnival/Masterpiece Co-Production.

About MASTERPIECE

MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Rebecca Eaton is Executive Producer for MASTERPIECE. Funding for the series is provided by Viking River Cruises and Ralph Lauren Corporation with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The MASTERPIECE Trust, created to help ensure the series' future.

About PBS

PBS, with its nearly 360 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 123 million people through television and more than 21 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices.

About WGBH

WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. WGBH also is a leader in educational multimedia, including PBS LearningMedia, and a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to the 36 million Americans who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or visually impaired. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards...even two Oscars. Find more information at www.wgbh.org.





  [january 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[11/26/24 - 12:03 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Nov. 18: "The Merry Gentlemen" and "A Man on the Inside" Take the Top Spots
Season 2 of the animated series "Arcane" laid siege to #2 (6.4M views), while Season 1 took #5 with 2.2M views.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 10:32 AM]
Taylor Sheridan's "Landman" Explodes with Over 5M Global Viewers Across Paramount+ and Linear Preview
The series also secured the #1 spot for a U.S. premiere in Paramount+ history within its first three days.

[11/19/24 - 01:38 PM]
Food Network's "Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking" Conjures Ratings and Reach with Series Premiere
The new series launched on Thursday, November 14, and posted a 0.57 P25-54 / 0.74 W25-54 L3 rating, more than doubling prior six-week benchmarks (+148% and +124% respectively) and is on pace to be Food Network's highest rated freshman series of the year.

[11/19/24 - 12:58 PM]
"Abbott Elementary" Hits Season Highs in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 with 6.33 Million Total Viewers and 2.21 Adults 18-49
After seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms, "Abbott Elementary" hit season highs in both Total Viewers (6.33 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.21 rating) with its November 6 episode.

[11/19/24 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Nov. 11: "Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson" Has Knockout Debut; "Hot Frosty" Heats Up at #1
Season 2 of the animated series "Arcane" held its place at #2 on the English TV List with 7.4M views and brought Season 1 back onto the list at #8 with 2.6M views.

[11/19/24 - 10:31 AM]
Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions' Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson Mega-Event Makes History with Over 108 Million Live Global Viewers
The Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight is the most-streamed sporting event ever, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams, with 38 million concurrent streams in the US.

[11/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
Four CBS Daytime Shows Post Year-Over-Year Growth
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" has also retained its #1 status with a 16% increase in total viewers vs. last year.

[11/16/24 - 02:04 PM]
60 Million Households Tuned in Live for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson with Nearly 50 Million for Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor 2 During the Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions Mega-Event
Additional viewership information, including total viewers, will be released early this week.

[11/15/24 - 11:44 AM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Halloween Week Scares Up Season Highs in Total Viewers and Households
Thursday's Halloween celebration "Only HALLOWEEN in the Building," featuring the annual fan-favorite costume contest, was the show's top telecast in both Total Viewers (2.396 million) and Households (1.64 rating) in seven months.

[11/15/24 - 10:14 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" 500th Telecast Is Top Entertainment Program of the Night in Adults 18-49
In addition, the milestone episode ranked as the No. 1 telecast on Tuesday night in Women 18-34 (0.92 rating) and Women 18-49 (0.95 rating), as well as Teens 12-17 (0.29 rating) and Adults 25-54 (0.93 rating).

[11/13/24 - 11:30 AM]
"Doctor Odyssey" Series Premiere Swells +482% Over Live+Same Day Audience in Adults 18-49
Plus: "9-1-1" kicked off season eight with an action-packed three-episode story arc rising +156% in Total Viewers (12.64 million vs. 4.93 million) and +519% in Adults 18-49 (2.91 rating vs. 0.47 rating) over its initial Live+Same Day audience.

[11/13/24 - 02:31 AM]
"Citadel: Honey Bunny" Was Prime Video's Most Watched Series Globally This Weekend
The series was in the Top 10 in almost 150 countries, including US, UK, France, Italy, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and UAE, proving the trend that consumers are continuing to enjoy non-English language content.

[11/12/24 - 12:06 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Nov. 4: "Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson" Enters the Ring; "Meet Me Next Christmas" Unwraps #1
Season 2, Act I of "Arcane," the animated series based on the popular multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends, also had a strong debut, taking second place with 6.3M views.

[11/12/24 - 06:30 AM]
Sunday's Return of "Yellowstone" Delivered Biggest Premiere Night Audience Ever with 16.4M Viewers
The Season 5B debut was up 3% vs. Season 5A's premiere night in 2022 (16.4M vs. 15.9M) based on VideoAmp.