Sci-Fi Delivers The Best February Ever!

[koenigrules]

Found this at:
www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/gofuton.cgi?action=pr&id=20050303scifi01

'SCI FI FRIDAY' SETS WINNING PACE...

'SCI FI FRIDAY' PROPELS CHANNEL TO #1 IN KEY DEMOS AND ITS BEST FEBRUARY EVER!

NEW YORK, NY--March 1, 2005--This month, SCI FI Channel delivered a 1.1 primetime rating-the Channel's best February ever. Original broadcasts of the unstoppable 'SCI FI Friday' - the Channel's trio of hit original series, the critically-acclaimed 'Battlestar Galactica', 'Stargate Atlantis' and 'Stargate SG-1' - led the Channel to the #1 spot in primetime (Friday, 8P-11P) ratings and delivery for the key demos: P25-54, P18-49, M18-34.

Up 10% in ratings and 11% in viewership over February 2004, SCI FI's prime delivered 1.3 million viewers (P2+) and saw double-digit growth in the highly competitive P18-49 (+29%) and P25-54 (+22%) demos. Further evidence of SCI FI's increasingly solid original programming slate, February is the Channel's best month in P18-49 since March 2003. In addition:

--SCI FI ranked Top 5 among all basic cable networks in ratings and delivery for M25-54 (#2 ratings, #2 delivery) and P25-54 (#4 ratings, # 5 delivery), and Top 10 in the following key demos: P18-49 (#5 ratings, #6 delivery), M18-49 (#5 ratings, #6 delivery), F25-54 (#7 ratings, #7 delivery), F18-49 (#10 ratings, #9 delivery) and M18-34 (#10 ratings, #10 delivery).

--SCI FI delivered 1.8 million P25-54s in February's Friday prime, more than broadcast networks the WB (1.6 million) and UPN (1 million). The Channel also averaged 1.2 million M25-54 for Friday prime, 10% more than Fox (1.1 million) and more than the WB (581,000) and UPN (527,000) combined.

--Faced with intense competition from the broadcast network's sweeps period (the Academy Awards, Super Bowl, etc.) - SCI FI produced some of the strongest programming successes in the Channel's history. Each of the 'SCI FI Friday' original series averaged at least a 2.0 HH rating and well over 2 million viewers (P2+): 'Battlestar Galactica' - 2.4 HH rating, 2.9 million P2+; 'Stargate Atlantis' - 2.2 HH rating, 2.7 million P2+; 'Stargate SG-1' - 2.0 HH rating, 2.4 million P2+.

--SCI FI Channel Original Movie 'Alien Siege' brought in nearly 2 million viewers (P2+) for its February 26 premiere. 'Alien Siege' is the highest-rated February movie to air on the Channel in five years.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 84 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

KR

[ReverendJ]

That's excellent news, if they keep this up I don't think the show will canceled anytime soon (mmmm....6+ seasons of BSG *drools*)

[Blade Runner]

Greta news JIm ;D

[Neumann]

These are great numbers. ESPECIALLY when you consider just how flawed and faulty the TV ratings system is!

Chris

[koenigrules]

And here's a follow-up article that was posted today at thefutoncritic:
www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/gofuton.cgi?action=pr&id=20050307nuts01

Monday, March 7, 2005
HIGH-FLYING FEBRUARY FOR NBC UNIVERSAL CABLE GROUP
Released by NBC Universal Television Studios

HIGH-FLYING FEBRUARY FOR NBC UNIVERSAL CABLE GROUP

USA IS THE #1 CABLE NETWORK FOR ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING IN FEBRUARY 2005 WITH THE #1 SERIES 'MONK'

SCI FI SCORES ITS HIGHEST FEBRUARY HOUSEHOLD RATING EVER AND IS UP 22 PERCENT IN 25-54 AND 29 PERCENT IN 18-49 VS. LAST FEBRUARY

BRAVO GROWS BIGGER AND YOUNGER IN ITS TOP-RATED FEBRUARY EVER

ORIGINAL PROGRAMS LIKE 'MONK,' 'BATTLESTAR GALACTICA' AND 'PROJECT RUNWAY' PACE NBCU'S BREAKTHROUGH MONTH

BURBANK, Calif. -- March 7, 2005 -- The cable networks of NBC Universal have concluded their most successful February ever, with USA, SCI FI and Bravo each hitting significant milestones of growth and competitiveness, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

USA Network finished the month of February as the #1 cable network for original programming in the key demographic of adults 25-54. USA's performance was led by the hit series "Monk," the #1 original program on basic cable in February in adults 25-54, averaging 2.5 million viewers in that key demographic and a 4.0 household rating for its Friday 10 p.m. first-run episodes. Four of the top five series program telecasts on cable in February in adults 25-54 were episodes of "Monk." Add to those four "Monk" episodes, two USA telecasts of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and two episodes of SCI FI's hit series "Battlestar Galactica" and NBC Universal Cable networks account for an astonishing eight of the top ten series program telecasts on cable in February in adults 25-54.*

Paced by the phenomenal performance of the original series "Battlestar Galactica," "Stargate Atlantis" and "Stargate SG-1," SCI FI has just wrapped a banner month in February 2005. The network posted remarkable growth of 29 percent in adults 18-49 and 22 percent in adults 25-54 versus February 2004. SCI FI also achieved explosive growth of 40 percent in the valuable adult 18-34 demographic. With an average delivery of 795,000 adults 25-54, SCI FI ranked #5 among all basic cable networks in February. And the SCI FI series "Battlestar Galactica" ranked #2 among all primetime cable programs in February, second only to USA's "Monk"(excluding sports and series that were limited to three or fewer telecasts in February).**

Led by its original series "Project Runway," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "Celebrity Poker Showdown," Bravo has just concluded it best February ever in both adults 18-49 (315,000) and adults 25-54 (322,000). Versus last February, Bravo's primetime audience has increased a remarkable 31 percent in the key demographic of adults 18-49 and 18 percent in adults 25-54. Bravo was the second-fastest growing basic cable network in primetime this February (excluding networks in less than 60 million homes).

And while it was growing bigger, Bravo was growing markedly younger, posting a 69 percent growth surge in adults 18-34 and lowering its median age to 41.5, down four years from last February and seven years from February 2003.***

In another February milestone for Bravo, the finale of "Project Runway" on Wednesday, Feb. 23 set a time-period record for the network and delivered Bravo's top ratings results of the 2004-05 season (1.183 million adult 25-54 viewers, 1.313 adult 18-49 viewers, 2.010 million viewers overall). "Project Runway" concluded with more than five times the adult 25-54 viewership and total viewership with which the series premiered on Dec. 1 and six times the adult 18-49 audience. From 8-11 p.m. that night, Bravo averaged 996,000 adult 18-49 viewers, ranking #1 among all cable networks.

And the cable networks of NBC Universal Entertainment dominated Friday nights in February with SCI FI Channel and USA Network's acclaimed original series "Battlestar Galactica," "Stargate Atlantis," "Stargate SG-1" (all on SCI FI) and "Monk" (on USA).

In a remarkable run, SCI FI and USA have ranked either #1 or #2 in both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 on every Friday night of the February sweep (Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25). In fact, since the Jan. 14 premiere of "Battlestar Galactica," SCI FI has been the #1 cable network in adults 18-49 on four out of six Fridays (ranking #2 the other two) and was the #1 cable net in adults 25-54 on five out of six Fridays (ranking #2 once). Similarly since the Jan. 21 premiere of "Monk," USA has typically ranked #1 or #2 in both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 (and has never ranked below #3) out of all 66 measured cable networks.

And with their original programming SCI FI and USA have all but taken over the Friday cable program rankings. Friday, Feb. 25, was typical, as SCI FI and USA together accounted for four of the top five and seven of the top 10 programs on cable among adults 25-54.

* USA Source: Nielsen Galaxy Explorer. based on 1/31/05-2/27/05. M-Su 8p-11p. Ranked on all original programming by network including sports, excluding NICK, which does not program the full primetime daypart. 6 of top 10 based on all telecasts on basic cable M-Su 8p-11p, excluding sports, wrestling and telecasts under 4. Monk Feb average based on Fri premieres (2/4/05-2/25/05). Monk #1 program based on M-Su 8p-11p ranked on all program trackages excluding sports.

** Sci Fi Source: Nielsen Galaxy Explorer. 1/31/05-2/27/05. M-Su 8p-11p (all basic cable networks, no sports). Fri 8p-11p (all basic cable networks, excludes DSNY). BSG ranking (M-Su 8p-11p; ranked on all program trackages, excluding sports, wrestling and telecasts under 4).

*** Bravo Source: Nielsen Galaxy Explorer. based on M-Su 7p-2a median age. Bravo delivers 315,000 A18-49 (M-Su 8p-11p). 2nd fastest growing basic cable network based on A18-49 M-Su 8p-11p Bravo +31% A18-49, CMT +50%; excludes nets under 60+ million homes. Bravo delivered best February based on M-Su 8p-11p.

KR

[Blade Runner]

I was waiting for you to put it up here ;D