US shows draw in the desired demographic
Source: Broadcast Now:
Quote:
“US acquisitions might not always bring in huge audiences, but they can bring in the type of viewers that broadcasters like.
Chuck, Virgin 1's latest US import, got off to a fine start on Monday 7 April with an average audience of 205,000/1.3% share in a 60-minute slot - way above the entertainment channel's slot average for last year of 75,000/0.5%. The comedy, from the creator of The OC, drew a healthy number of ABC1 viewers - 38.6% of the audience. Those aged between 16 and 34 made up 17.1%.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has also brought viewers to Virgin 1, with the seven episodes that have aired so far on Thursdays at 10pm averaging 387,000/2.5%.
ITV2 has had mixed results with US acquisitions. The debut of Bionic Woman picked up a record-breaking 2.2 million/10.5% on 11 March at 10pm. Viewers have fallen off since, but it remains a hit, with an average of 1.5 million/7.3% over four episodes. ABC1s have made up 36.4% of the audience, while 23.8% have been aged between 16 and 34.
The channel came unstuck with the highly publicised Gossip Girl. The launch episode on 27 March at 10pm only pulled in 293,000/1.9%, some way off the slot average of 471,000/3.2%. Viewers did pick up the following week, with 348,000/2.2% watching. The show attracts a healthy number of younger viewers, with 45.7% of its audience aged between 16 and 34.
E4 has been doing reasonable business with Reaper on Wednesdays at 9pm. The 11 episodes that have aired so far have averaged 302,000/1.4%, some 30,000 off the slot average. The show has fared particularly well with younger viewers - the 16 to 34 age range makes up 48.8% of its audience.
Still going strong for E4 is Friends. The show has pulled in an average audience so far this year of 246,000/1.4%, with 475,000/3.5% watching on 16 January. BBC4's Mad Men has only gained a series average of 157,000/0.9% on Sundays in a 10pm slot since its launch, but of those who are watching, ABC1 viewers make up a huge 80%. This figure hit 86.4% on 30 March.
The daddy of US acquisitions, at least for multichannel viewers, is still The Simpsons on Sky One. The most watched edition so far this year averaged 835,000/3.5% on 3 February at 8.30pm.
The terrestrial channels have also used US shows as part of their line-ups. Damages on BBC1 averaged 1.6 million/12.1% on Monday nights at 10.35pm. ITV1's ongoing Dexter has managed 1.6 million/12.1% in a similar slot on Wednesdays.
This weekend sees ITV1 take the unusual step of airing an import in primetime, with quirky US show Pushing Daisies set to air after Britain's Got Talent on Saturday night. With the mixed fortunes such shows bring, ITV's rivals will be watching with interest.”
Top 10 US acquisitions so far this year
Title TX Start Viewers Channel Share
2008 (millions) (%)
1 CSI 12/02 9pm 3.8 Five 16.3
2 CSI: NY 02/02 9.10pm 3.2 Five 14.4
3 Desperate Housewives 26/03 10pm 2.7 C4 14.6
3 Dirty Sexy Money 21/03 9pm 2.7 C4 11.5
5 NCIS 07/03 9pm 2.6 Five 11.7
5 The Simpsons 10/01 6pm 2.6 C4 12.9
7 Ice Road Truckers 07/03 8pm 2.5 Five 10.4
8 House 03/04 9pm 2.1 Five 9.1
9 Damages 21/01 10.35pm 2.0 BBC1 14.8
10 Dexter 27/02 10.35pm 1.9 ITV1 14.6
Source: TNS Infosys. Figures are overnights.
