TNT
TNT's exclusive coverage of the 2014 NBA Western Conference Finals - the San Antonio Spurs defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games - averaged 6.8 million total viewers and a 4.2 U.S. HH rating, increases of +39% and +35% when compared with last year's Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies (4.9 million total viewers; 3.1 U.S. HH rating). TNT registered the top audience across all of cable television each game night throughout the six-game series, despite four lopsided outcomes.
This year's NBA Western Conference Finals on TNT generated the top two sports programs of the day across all of television five times throughout the series - each game telecast and the Sports Emmy(R)-winning Inside the NBA studio show. Additionally, TNT's Western Conference Finals coverage netted significant increases across all key male demos, with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49 both growing by +33% and Men 25-54 tallying an increase of +30% over last year.
The network's coverage of the Western Conference Finals Game 6 (Saturday, May 31) - San Antonio's 112-107 overtime victory over Oklahoma City to close out the series - averaged 8.1 million total viewers and a 4.9 U.S. HH rating to rank as basic cable's #1 program for the week and the top sports program of the day across all of television (cable and broadcast). TNT's Game 6 telecast grew +66% and +58% compared with last year's Western Conference Finals. Game 6 between the Spurs/Thunder peaked with 12.1 million total viewers and a 4.9 U.S. HH rating from 11:15-11:30 p.m. (ET).
Following Game 6, TNT's Inside the NBA delivered a 2.7 overnight rating from 11:45 p.m.-12:15 a.m. to net the second highest-rated sports program of the day (trailing only the game itself) across all of television.
For the week, TNT's NBA West Conference Finals coverage accounted for three of basic cable's Top 10 programs among total viewers, adults 18-34, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. Meanwhile, TNT ranked as basic cable's #1 network in total day delivery of adults 25-54 for the week.
Adult Swim
Across the first week of June 2014, Adult Swim's Total Day Delivery performance once again ranked #1 among adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 and men 18-24 & 18-34 on basic cable for the week. The overall Total Day performance scored modest delivery gains among both adults 18-49 (1%) and men 18-49 (1%).
Among Adult Swim original programming, Thursday night's new episode premiere of Loiter Squad (12 a.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-24 & 18-34 and men 18-24, posting dramatic year-over-year double-digit delivery gains across all targeted demos - adults 18-34 (44%), adults 18-49 (53%), adults 18-24 (62%), men 18-34 (44%), men 18-49 (57%) and men 18-24 (41%). Additionally, a new episode premiere of the Emmy-winning Robot Chicken (Sunday, 11:30 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period on basic cable among all adults 18-34, 18-49 & 18-24 and men 18-34, 18-49 & 18-24.
On Monday night in primetime, the Peabody Award-winning The Boondocks (10:30 p.m.) presented another new episode, posting year-over-year delivery gains among adults 18-24 (6%) & 18-49 (4%) and men 18-49 (2%). Similarly, Family Guy (10 p.m.) grew delivery of targeted adults 18-49 by 11% and men 18-49 also by 11%.
Saturday night's anime block presentation TOONAMI earned performance was highlighted by Naruto: Shippuden (1 a.m.), which ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-34 (3% delivery growth), men 18-24 (35% delivery growth) and men 18-34 (15% delivery growth) compared to the same time period last year. Adults and men 18-49 also grew, by 8% and 26%, respectively. Additional Saturday late night series One Piece (1:30 a.m.), Blue Exorcist (2 a.m.), Black Lagoon (2:30 a.m.) and Beware the Batman (3 a.m.) each ranked #1 in their respective timeslots on all basic cable for delivery of men 18-24 & 18-34.
Adult Swim programming - including Family Guy, American Dad, Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Squidbillies, Loiter Squad, The Boondocks and Bob's Burgers - accounted for 29 of the top 50 telecasts on basic cable for the week among adults 18-34, more than any other network.
Cartoon Network
Across the first week of June 2014, Cartoon Network ranked as television's #1 network for Total Day delivery of boys 9-14.
Among weeknight Early Prime programming (Monday-Friday, 6-8 p.m.), Cartoon Network scored as the #1 television network on cable and broadcast among boys 6-11 & 9-14 on Tuesday and Wednesday Night, and the #1 network among boys 9-14 on Thursday and Friday Night. Thursday night's overall performance included delivery gains among kids 2-11 (17%), kids 6-11 (5%) and boys 2-11 (5%).
On Saturday morning (7-11 a.m.), Cartoon Network posted double-digit year-over-year delivery gains among kids 2-11 (17%) and kids 6-11 (16%). Among the programming highlights, the premiere of the Pokémon Mega Evolution Special (8 a.m.) also earned solid delivery gains among kids 2-11 (10%) and kids 6-11 (8%) vs. the same time period last year.
TBS
TBS's Deal With It grabbed 1.4 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery for last Wednesday's episode, including 829,000 adults 18-49. The show grew +21% over the prior week among adults 18-34, with nearly half a million in the demo. Deal With It will air its spring finale this Wednesday, returning later in the year with more new episodes.
The Big Bang Theory on TBS continues to trounce the competition, accounting for all 20 of basic cable's Top 20 sitcom telecasts for the week among total viewers. It also scored 17 of the Top 20 sitcom telecasts with adults 18-49 for the week.
truTV
truTV's new hit series The Carbonaro Effect, starring Michael Carbonaro, continued its strong run, delivering 1.2 million viewers and 680,000 adults 18-49 in its third week, with a median age of only 35. Meanwhile in time-shifted viewing, the May 15 premiere episode of The Carbonaro Effect grew to a final tally of 1.7 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, including 892,000 adults 18-49.
Last week's episode of the hit series Impractical Jokers scored 1.2 million viewers and grew +8% over the prior week among adults 18-49 (801,000) and +9% among men 18-49 (435,000). The show ranked as one of basic cable's Top 5 programs in the timeslot in both of those demo categories and was one of the Top 5 entertainment programs with adults 18-34.
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