SMGX Strategic Intelligence Insider’s Look
2010/2011 Early Morning Review
2010/11 early morning ratings were a mixed bag of results. Young Adults: A18‐34 ratings were down for all three broadcast networks. There was only one program that managed to maintain its average A18‐34 rating from last year (NBC’s EARLY TODAY) while the young adult audience for every other program was down versus year ago. Older Viewers: Early morning ratings among older viewers were more stable than younger audience ratings. CBS had a 4% gain in its A35‐64 rating, but among A50+ its rating fell 2%. The opposite was true for ABC and NBC, where A50+ ratings were elevated versus year ago compared to stable ratings with A35‐64. Despite a decline in AMERICA THIS MORNING, ABC showcased a 7% increase with A50+ thanks to an 11% hike in GOOD MORNING AMERICA. On NBC, gains in TODAY SHOW II offset a 2% decline with A35‐64 for THE TODAY SHOW and a 2% drop in EARLY TODAY with A50+. Female Viewers: For W18‐49 and W25‐54, NBC posted rating increases versus last season. All three of its programs achieved higher ratings versus 2009/10, with EARLY TODAY pulling the largest rating increases. ABC experienced a 4% rating drop among W18‐49, fueled by a 19% drop in AMERICA THIS MORNING. Despite a 15% drop in AMERICA THIS MORNING with W25‐54, ABC’s overall 1.44 W25‐54 rating marked a 1% improvement over a year ago thanks to a 5% boost from GOOD MORNING AMERICA. CBS’ female ratings were consistent across demos as its 2010/11 W18‐49 and W25‐54 ratings were each down 1% compared to the 2009/10 season. Broadcast Network Early Morning C3 Ratings by Network
2009/10 vs. 2010/11
Net
2009/10
A18‐34
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A18‐34
C3 Rtg
Index
2009/10
A18‐49
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A18‐49
C3 Rtg
ABC
CBS
NBC
0.41
0.32
0.59
0.36
0.29
0.55
Net
2009/10
W25‐54
C3 Rtg
ABC
CBS
NBC
1.42
0.90
1.66
Index
2009/10
W18‐49
C3 Rtg
2010/11
W18‐49
C3 Rtg
89
91
93
0.79
0.52
0.98
0.75
0.52
0.97
2010/11
W25‐54
C3 Rtg
Index
2009/10
A35‐64
C3 Rtg
1.44
0.89
1.73
101
99
104
1.60
1.03
1.69
Index
2009/10
A25‐54
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A25‐54
C3 Rtg
94
101
98
1.05
0.63
1.31
1.00
0.62
1.33
Index
96
99
102
1.10
0.73
1.25
1.07
0.75
1.28
97
102
102
2010/11
A35‐64
C3 Rtg
Index
2009/10
A50+
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A50+
C3 Rtg
Index
1.61
1.08
1.68
100
104
99
2.32
1.50
2.39
2.47
1.47
2.41
107
98
101
Source: Nielsen Media Research, NPower; 9/21/09‐5/26/10 vs. 9/20/10‐5/25/11.
Programming Highlights: The weak link on ABC was AMERICA THIS MORNING. Ratings were down across the board for ABC’s first show in early morning, as much as 19% with W18‐49, A25‐54 and A35‐64. Despite declining audiences for GOOD MORNING AMERICA with young viewers, GMA picked up viewers with W25‐54, A35‐64 and A50+. Most CBS early morning ratings were down, but viewership among men helped boost adult ratings. While CBS’ average EAM W18‐
49 rating declined 1%, its A18‐49 rating escalted 1%. The same story held for P25‐54 where the W25‐54 average rating for CBS declined 1% and the A25‐54 rating rose 2%. The increase for CBS came from A35‐64 where ratings for all three of its shows were up versus last year. Unlike ABC, NBC’s first morning program, EARLY TODAY, had significant audience gains including a 30% rating increase among W18‐49. NBC did not receive a boost from male viewers like CBS did. The W18‐49 rating for THE TODAY SHOW was even with last year, but its A18‐49 rating was down 3% due to a nearly 6% drop with M18‐49. SMGX Strategic Intelligence
2010/12 Early Morning Review
Broadcast Network Early Morning C3 Ratings by Program
2009/10 vs. 2010/11
Program
Net
2009/10
A18‐34
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A18‐34
C3 Rtg
Index
2009/10
A18‐49
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A18‐49
C3 Rtg
89
0.46
0.38
89
0.95
0.93
Index
2009/10
W18‐49
C3 Rtg
2010/11
W18‐49
C3 Rtg
83
0.55
0.45
97
1.29
1.27
Index
2009/10
A25‐54
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A25‐54
C3 Rtg
AMERICA THIS MORNING
ABC
0.23
0.20
81
0.67
0.54
GOOD MORNING, AMERICA
ABC
0.50
0.44
81
99
1.32
1.33
101
CBS MORNING NEWS
CBS
0.17
0.16
90
0.29
0.28
99
0.31
0.30
95
EARLY SHOW‐1
CBS
0.42
0.39
93
0.72
0.72
100
0.89
0.86
97
0.40
0.39
100
1.01
1.03
EARLY SHOW‐2
CBS
0.34
0.31
90
0.54
0.55
103
0.66
0.67
101
0.77
0.79
102
102
EARLY TODAY
NBC
0.17
0.17
101
0.26
0.30
114
0.27
0.34
130
0.35
0.38
109
TODAY SHOW
NBC
0.82
0.77
94
1.42
1.38
97
1.92
1.91
100
1.81
1.84
102
TODAY SHOW II
NBC
0.52
0.47
91
0.79
0.80
101
1.06
1.14
107
1.01
1.06
105
Program
Net
2009/10
W25‐54
C3 Rtg
2010/11
W25‐54
C3 Rtg
Index
2009/10
A35‐64
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A35‐64
C3 Rtg
Index
2009/10
A50+
C3 Rtg
2010/11
A50+
C3 Rtg
Index
AMERICA THIS MORNING
ABC
0.76
0.64
85
0.90
0.73
81
1.05
0.88
84
GOOD MORNING, AMERICA
ABC
1.75
1.83
105
1.95
2.04
105
2.94
3.26
111
CBS MORNING NEWS
CBS
0.44
0.42
97
0.52
0.53
102
0.61
0.58
95
EARLY SHOW‐1
CBS
1.25
1.25
100
1.38
1.43
104
1.83
1.83
100
98
EARLY SHOW‐2
CBS
0.96
0.95
99
1.12
1.18
105
1.77
1.73
EARLY TODAY
NBC
0.36
0.43
118
0.43
0.45
105
0.43
0.43
98
TODAY SHOW
NBC
2.43
2.49
103
2.40
2.36
98
3.25
3.27
101
TODAY SHOW II
NBC
1.35
1.47
109
1.43
1.49
104
2.29
2.38
104
Index
Source: Nielsen Media Research, NPower; 9/21/09‐5/26/10 vs. 9/20/10‐5/25/11.
Basic Cable The list of top cable networks in early morning included networks one would expect as well as some that may surprise. At or near the top among all demos were TBS, TNT and USA. Over the course of the broadcast season, 63% of TBS’early morning telecasts were MARRIED WITH CHILDREN and SAVED BY THE BELL, which were the network’s top shows among A18‐49 and A25‐54. Former WB shows CHARMED and ANGEL fueled TNT while off‐net shows LAW & ORDER: SVU and NCIS were tops on USA. News networks populate the top 20 list with Fox News being the most watched. Fox News and HLN were only news networks to crack the top 20 among A18‐34 and W18‐49, with CNN making the cut with A18‐49, A25‐54 and W25‐54. While MSNBC was absent from the top 20 with A18‐34 and A18‐49, it ranked 13th with both A25‐54 and W25‐54. MTV, ABC Family, FX and VH‐1 were popular early morning choices among young adults while The Weather Channel, HGTV and TV Land climbed the list among older viewers. A18‐34 were captured by teen pregnancy as MTV’s top early morning shows were encores of 16 & PREGNANT, TEEN MOM 2 and BABY HIGH. ABC Family attracted the young crowd with sitcoms MELISSA AND JOEY, BOY MEETS WORLD and SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH while FX surged with movies in the morning. Movies also aided TV Land, where classic titles like National Lampoon Vacation, My Cousin Vinny, Ghost, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Naked Gun were the most watched shows on the network. On HGTV, encores of its popular prime shows (HOUSE HUNTERS, HOLMES ON HOMES) flourished in the morning. Among W25‐54, Lifetime was the fifth most watched network, loading up on off‐network shows like WILL & GRACE, FRASIER, GREY’S ANATOMY and REBA. While most of these aforementioned networks are typically among the highest rated in cable, there are a few networks that generally are not considered a top network that popped up on the early morning top 20 list. Investigation Discovery, which has a wide array of programs, ranked 12th with A18‐49 and 10th among A25‐54. The Hallmark Channel, which ranked 12th with W18‐49 and A25‐54 and 8th among W25‐54, was noticed with its original and Hallmark Hall of Fame movies as well as 818 combined telecasts of GOLDEN GIRLS and I LOVE LUCY. Animal Planet stands out because of its popularity with both young adults (ranking 17th among A18‐
34) as well as older viewers (placing 18th with W25‐54). While maybe it is not a shock that with A25‐54 WGN America ranked 17th among all cable networks in early moring, the fact that it did so with 356 episodes of THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and 177 episodes of MATLOCK may come as a it of a surprise. SMGX
Strategic Intelligence
2010/12 Early Morning Review
Top 20 Basic Cable Networks in Early Morning M‐F 6a‐10a
P 18‐34
P 18‐49
2010/11
Network
C3 (000)
F 18‐49
2010/11
Network
C3 (000)
Network
F 25‐54
P 25‐54
2010/11
C3 (000)
2010/11
Network
C3 (000)
2010/11
Network
C3 (000)
TBS
203
TNT
380
TNT
226
TNT
392
TNT
230
TNT
153
TBS
367
TBS
176
TBS
335
USA
163
USA
129
USA
274
USA
155
FOX NEWS
335
TBS
154
MTV
106
FOX NEWS
214
LIFETIME
94
USA
284
FOX NEWS
135
ABC FAMILY
74
A&E
181
FOX NEWS
91
A&E
204
LIFETIME
106
A&E
71
HISTORY
162
MTV
87
HISTORY
172
A&E
96
HISTORY
65
MTV
133
A&E
84
HLN
163
WEATHER CHANNEL
88
FX
59
LIFETIME
130
ABC FAMILY
75
WEATHER CHANNEL
158
HALLMARK
84
VH‐1
55
FX
124
LMN
71
LIFETIME
146
HLN
84
E!
53
HLN
121
HLN
66
ID
140
ID
80
COMEDY
52
WEATHER CHANNEL
113
ID
65
CNN
129
LMN
77
BET
50
ID
110
HALLMARK
65
HALLMARK
118
HGTV
64
LIFETIME
49
CNN
107
E!
64
MSNBC
117
MSNBC
61
61
FOX NEWS
48
ABC FAMILY
107
TLC
62
FX
115
CNN
TLC
43
HALLMARK
95
WEATHER CHANNEL
60
LMN
99
TLC
56
SPIKE TV
39
SPIKE TV
91
BRAVO
59
TV LAND
97
BRAVO
53
ANIMAL PLANET
37
LMN
89
FX
55
WGN AMERICA
95
FX
53
BRAVO
37
E!
87
VH‐1
55
AMC
95
ANIMAL PLANET
52
HLN
37
ANIMAL PLANET
85
HGTV
53
HGTV
93
TV LAND
51
WEATHER CHANNEL
36
TV LAND
84
BET
49
SPIKE TV
88
E!
51
Source: Nielsen Media Research, 9/20/10‐5/25/11; M‐F 6:00am‐10:00am, C3 data.