How cable ratings stack up to broadcast
Eight of the top 25 shows in viewers 12-34 and 18-34 air on cable
March 24, 2015

Media buyers and planners are always curious to see how cable and broadcast shows compare against each other.
And the latest numbers suggest the lines between cable and broadcast continue to fade for younger viewers, especially Millennials.
Nearly a third of the top shows among viewers 12-34 and 18-34 air on cable.
Of course, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” has been pacing ahead of broadcast’s top shows for quite some time. But other cable shows are creeping up.
During the week ended March 15, eight of the top 25 programs among 12-34s were on cable, based on Nielsen live-plus-three-day-DVR-playback.
“Dead” was on top with an 8.3 rating, and the drama’s post-episode talk show, “Talking Dead,” ranked fifth with a 2.7.
In fact, AMC had three programs in the top 15, with “Better Call Saul” ranking 15th.
E!’s “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” ranked 12th with a 2.1.
And eight of the top 25 in 18-34s were cable programs as well. In addition to the three AMC shows and “Kardashians,” VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” ranked in the top 20.
Interestingly, among slightly older viewers, adults 18-49s, the line between cable and broadcast remains a bit more visible. Only three cable shows rank in the top 25. Actually, just three rank in the top 39.
The reason may be that the younger generation has grown up at a time when cable and broadcast are becoming indistinguishable.
Cable has gained a wider audience over the past decade, with higher-quality content and greater distribution.
But even slightly older viewers are still more likely to stick to broadcast. They’re not as comfortable with the wider range of channels and tend to favor more traditional content.
While 18-49s are certainly more likely to surf to cable than older demos, when compared to younger ones, they’re fairly traditional.
L+3 Ratings (Broadcast and Cable)
|
||||
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
1 |
WALKING DEAD |
AMC |
9.0 |
6,102 |
2 |
EMPIRE |
FOX |
7.1 |
4,838 |
3 |
BIG BANG THEORY, THE |
CBS |
3.9 |
2,666 |
4 |
SCANDAL |
ABC |
3.3 |
2,209 |
5 |
VOICE |
NBC |
3.0 |
2,070 |
6 |
BACHELOR, THE |
ABC |
3.0 |
2,005 |
7 |
BACHELOR:AFTER FINAL ROSE |
ABC |
2.9 |
1,975 |
8 |
GREY’S ANATOMY |
ABC |
2.9 |
1,954 |
9 |
TALKING DEAD |
AMC |
2.8 |
1,894 |
10 |
VOICE-TUE |
NBC |
2.7 |
1,854 |
11 |
FAMILY GUY |
FOX |
2.5 |
1,711 |
12 |
BETTER CALL SAUL |
AMC |
2.5 |
1,682 |
13 |
KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS |
E! |
2.4 |
1,658 |
14 |
LAST MAN ON EARTH |
FOX |
2.4 |
1,604 |
15 |
ONCE UPON A TIME |
ABC |
2.0 |
1,356 |
16 |
CRIMINAL MINDS |
CBS |
1.9 |
1,305 |
17 |
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY |
FOX |
1.9 |
1,280 |
18 |
CHICAGO FIRE |
NBC |
1.9 |
1,266 |
19 |
LOVE AND HIP HOP 5 |
VH1 |
1.8 |
1,239 |
20 |
FAMILY GUY |
ADULT SWIM |
1.8 |
1,217 |
Source: Nielsen |
L+3 Ratings (Broadcast and Cable)
|
||||
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
1 |
WALKING DEAD |
AMC |
9.8 |
12,472 |
2 |
EMPIRE |
FOX |
7.8 |
9,939 |
3 |
BIG BANG THEORY, THE |
CBS |
5.9 |
7,550 |
4 |
VOICE |
NBC |
4.5 |
5,696 |
5 |
VOICE-TUE |
NBC |
4.4 |
5,597 |
6 |
SCANDAL |
ABC |
3.9 |
5,010 |
7 |
TALKING DEAD |
AMC |
3.6 |
4,510 |
8 |
GREY’S ANATOMY |
ABC |
3.3 |
4,167 |
9 |
CRIMINAL MINDS |
CBS |
3.2 |
4,008 |
10 |
BACHELOR:AFTER FINAL ROSE |
ABC |
3.1 |
3,973 |
11 |
BACHELOR, THE |
ABC |
3.1 |
3,941 |
12 |
BLACKLIST |
NBC |
3.1 |
3,876 |
13 |
NCIS |
CBS |
3.0 |
3,823 |
14 |
CHICAGO FIRE |
NBC |
2.9 |
3,700 |
15 |
ODD COUPLE, THE |
CBS |
2.9 |
3,692 |
16 |
SCORPION |
CBS |
2.9 |
3,677 |
17 |
SURVIVOR |
CBS |
2.9 |
3,652 |
18 |
MOM |
CBS |
2.9 |
3,646 |
19 |
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY |
FOX |
2.7 |
3,482 |
20 |
2 BROKE GIRLS |
CBS |
2.7 |
3,390 |
Source: Nielsen |
L+3 Ratings (Broadcast and Cable)
|
||||
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
1 |
WALKING DEAD |
AMC |
8.3 |
7,676 |
2 |
EMPIRE |
FOX |
6.5 |
5,989 |
3 |
BIG BANG THEORY, THE |
CBS |
3.5 |
3,244 |
4 |
VOICE |
NBC |
2.8 |
2,608 |
5 |
TALKING DEAD |
AMC |
2.7 |
2,458 |
6 |
SCANDAL |
ABC |
2.6 |
2,429 |
7 |
VOICE-TUE |
NBC |
2.6 |
2,394 |
8 |
BACHELOR, THE |
ABC |
2.6 |
2,388 |
9 |
BACHELOR:AFTER FINAL ROSE |
ABC |
2.6 |
2,359 |
10 |
GREY’S ANATOMY |
ABC |
2.4 |
2,197 |
11 |
FAMILY GUY |
FOX |
2.2 |
2,018 |
12 |
KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS |
E! |
2.1 |
1,977 |
13 |
ONCE UPON A TIME |
ABC |
2.1 |
1,921 |
14 |
LAST MAN ON EARTH |
FOX |
2.1 |
1,915 |
15 |
BETTER CALL SAUL |
AMC |
1.9 |
1,782 |
16 |
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY |
FOX |
1.9 |
1,726 |
17 |
CRIMINAL MINDS |
CBS |
1.8 |
1,669 |
18 |
FAMILY GUY |
ADULT SWIM |
1.7 |
1,563 |
19 |
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS |
ABC FAMILY |
1.7 |
1,558 |
20 |
FAMILY GUY |
ADULT SWIM |
1.7 |
1,526 |
Source: Nielsen |
Tags: cable, broadcast, walking dead, amc, Broadcast Cable, cable broadcast, top 25 shows, broadcast and cable ratings
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