Viewers Gravitate Towards Comedies

It turns out that you’re spending more time than ever watching comedies on ad-supported television, according to a new study by the media ad-buy firm Magna Global.

Viewership of broadcast network sitcoms has dropped, but you’re more than making up the difference by watching comedy repeats in syndication and on ad-supported cable, the study says.

In fact, more people are watching Seinfeld, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond this season than when the shows were at the height of their popularity on their respective broadcast networks, according to the study’s author, Magna Global Executive Vice President Steve Sternberg.

In 1993-94, the average U.S. TV household spent just under four hours per week watching comedies. This season, it’s just over 4 hours, the study asserts.

Inside Information online (4-30-07) (more…)

NBA Looks to Score in PostseasonThe opening round of the National Basketball Association playoffs is in full swing and both ESPN and TNT hope to score significant ratings gains with the postseason. ESPN is confident that it will improve on its 3.3 household rating garnered during last year’s playoffs.

The network is also looking to improve on its young adult and male demos. During last year’s postseason the network posted double-digit growth in viewership among adults 18 to 49 (2.08 million in 2006), men 18 to 49 (1.5 million) and men 25 to 54 (1.4 million) compared to 2005. (more…)

Bravo Trumpets Young, Affluent Audience
Coming off a record-breaking 2006, followed by a record-breaking first quarter 2007, Bravo has announced an additional night of original programming on Thursday nights in 2007; a shift in sales focus on the A18-49 targeted demographic from the A25-54 demo; and a robust slate of new and returning programming.

Bravo said this year they’re focused on the 18-to-49 demographic, rather than the 25-to-54 age group. (more…)

Cable Bests Broadcast With Big 1QThis year cable has marched on with its ratings growth, fueled by powerhouse programming such as wrestling and with services like A&E Network and Court TV posting big gains in the first quarter.

For the first 27 weeks of the broadcast season, cable secured a 54.1 share of primetime household viewing - up from 52.9 for the same period last year ? according to a Turner Broadcasting System analysis of Nielsen Media Research data. (more…)