Is Super Bowl counter-programming worth it? Yes and no.

02.14.2017

There’s been a long-running debate over whether Super Bowl counter-programming on game day is worth it. The broadcast networks have largely abandoned such attempts.

Still, while the game pulls massive ratings every year, a little over a quarter of people watching television aren’t tuned in to the Super Bowl.

Cable networks continue to try to woo them. Sometimes they’re successful. Sometimes they’re not. It’s always illuminating to see what works.

This year, Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl” was clearly in the success column. The afternoon program, now in its 13th year, showcases pups up for adoption.

Sunday’s broadcast averaged 2.47 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, up 12 percent from last year’s 2.2 million. It also drew a 0.8 adults 18-49 rating, improving by a tenth over last year.

It was cable’s most-watched program of the day.

Ranking No. 5 for the day on cable in the demo? A repeat of “Family Guy” on Adult Swim, which posted a 0.6 in the demo at 10:30 p.m., just as ratings for the Super Bowl were peaking after overtime.

Clearly those two were cable’s big winners. But other game day programming didn’t fare nearly as well.

Hallmark Channel’s “Kitten Bowl” posted just a 0.1 in the demo. Nat Geo Wild’s “Fish Bowl” didn’t even register enough viewers in the demo to post a rating, averaging a 0.0.

The lessons from these numbers? First, it helps if you have an established past. The “Puppy Bowl” has become a Super Bowl day tradition. The four-year-old “Fish Bowl” clearly has not.

Second, some degree of consistency helps. Adult Swim runs “Family” repeats every single day. Just because it’s Super Bowl Sunday doesn’t mean people will forego their favorite show, so keeping schedules as expected may be a smart strategy.

And finally, it helps to air your event earlier in the day – the “Puppy Bowl” got a two-hour head start on the “Kitten Bowl,” which kicked off just an hour before the Super Bowl.

***

In cable ratings for the week ended Feb. 5:

Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, TBS, ESPN, Discovery Channel, HGTV.

Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): Fox News Channel, HGTV, USA, MSNBC, TBS.

Top five total-day networks (total viewers): Fox News Channel, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, HGTV, CNN, Adult Swim.

Top cable news networks in primetime (total viewers): Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, HLN, CNN.

Top cable news programs (total viewers): 1. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Tuesday, 8 p.m.); 2. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Wednesday, 8 p.m.); 3. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Thursday, 8 p.m.); 4. Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Tuesday, 9 p.m.); 5. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” (Monday, 8 p.m.)

Top movie (total viewers): Disney Channel’s “Monsters University,” (Friday, 6:10 p.m.) 2.53 million.

Top sporting event (total viewers): TNT’s “NBA Basketball” (Thursday, 10:38 p.m.) 2.36 million.

Show on the rise: HGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” Tuesday, 9 p.m. The program averaged 3.71 million total viewers, up 28 percent from 2.90 million the previous week.

Show on the decline: VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop,” Monday, 8 p.m. The reality show slipped 12 percent week-to-week among total viewers, from 2.72 million to 2.39 million.

 

TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Total Viewers
Week Ending Feb. 5

Rank

Primetime

Total Day

Net

(000)

Net

(000)

1

FOXN

3266

FOXN

1946

2

HGTV

1644

NICK

1159

3

USA

1550

DSNY

940

4

MSNB

1478

HGTV

896

5

TBSC

1340

CNN

878

6

HIST

1317

ADSM

860

7

CNN

1263

ID 

800

8

DSNY

1235

MSNB

793

9

DISC

1234

USA

784

10

ESPN

1211

NAN

751

11

ID 

1070

TNT

667

12

FOOD

1000

TOON

653

13

TNT

985

HIST

629

14

FX 

825

ESPN

622

15

HALL

795

FOOD

596

16

ADSM

784

TBSC

561

17

A&E

769

TVLD

542

18

TVLD

730

DISC

522

19

LIFE

720

DSJR

504

20

TLC

695

TVLC

502

21

FRFM

676

HALL

469

22

AMC

661

A&E

444

23

NKJR

654

FX 

442

24

NAN

650

FRFM

441

25

SPK

626

AMC

438

(1) Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Nielsen

 

TOP 25 CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Total Viewers
Week Ending Feb. 5

Rank

Program

Net

(000)

1

THE OREILLY FACTOR

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

6,759

2

THE OREILLY FACTOR

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

5,033

3

THE OREILLY FACTOR

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

4,692

4

TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

4,535

5

THE OREILLY FACTOR

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

4,398

6

TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

4,120

7

TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

4,056

8

TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,875

9

HANNITY

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,792

10

FIXER UPPER

HOME AND GARDEN TV

3,708

11

FIRST 100 DAYS, THE

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,706

12

SPECIAL RPT W/BRET BAIER

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,694

13

WWE ENTERTAINMENT

USA NETWORK

3,648

14

GOLD RUSH

DISCOVERY CHANNEL

3,647

15

WWE ENTERTAINMENT

USA NETWORK

3,632

16

FIVE, THE

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,618

17

SPECIAL RPT W/BRET BAIER

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,589

18

WWE ENTERTAINMENT

USA NETWORK

3,579

19

SPECIAL RPT W/BRET BAIER

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,442

20

FIVE, THE

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,413

21

HANNITY

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,399

21

FIVE, THE

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,385

23

HANNITY

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,375

24

SPECIAL RPT W/BRET BAIER

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,354

25

FIRST 100 DAYS, THE

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

3,352

-Source: Nielsen

 

TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Viewers 18-49
Week Ending Feb. 5

Rank

Primetime

Total Day

Net

(000)

Net

(000)

1

USA

667

ADSM

516

2

TBSC

648

NAN

383

3

ESPN

529

NICK

360

4

DISC

493

ESPN

313

5

HGTV

492

USA

308

6

FOXN

481

TBSC

301

7

TNT

431

FOXN

292

8

ADSM

417

HGTV

283

9

FOOD

403

ID 

281

10

HIST

384

DSNY

274

11

FX 

379

TNT

264

12

CNN

377

CNN

238

13

FRFM

349

FOOD

238

14

AMC

327

TOON

230

15

ID 

321

FRFM

225

16

DSNY

317

DISC

215

17

VH1

316

FX 

210

18

A&E

299

AMC

195

19

LIFE

289

SPK

187

20

CMDY

272

HIST

186

21

BRAV

272

A&E

181

22

SPK

269

DSJR

166

23

TLC

261

MTV

163

24

MTV

259

TVLD

162

25

NAN

249

CMDY

158

 

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/super-bowl-counter-programming-work/

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