USA Network Tops Prime-Time Ad-Supported Cable Viewing for 2011

NEW YORK: USA Network led ad-supported basic cable viewership in prime time in 2011, followed by ESPN, TNT, Fox News and HISTORY.

This marks the sixth consecutive time that USA finished number one in total viewers and adults 18 to 49. HISTORY broke into the top 5 in 2011, as the only shake up to the first five on the list from 2010. Fox News was number four, dominating in the cable news landscape as its nearest competitor, MSNBC, was 28 and CNN was 29.

Among cable’s top 25, HISTORY was up 21 percent, FX gained 20 percent and MTV gained 21 percent for total viewers. For the 18-to-49 demo, HISTORY was ahead 17 percent, FX was up 21 percent and MTV up 22 percent. Nick at Nite fell 22 percent, to number 11, just above Syfy, which gained 11 percent. Discovery posted a 2-percent increase, coming in at number 13, while Adult Swim and HGTV followed at 14 and 15, respectively. MTV was next, having grown its audience 21 percent. AMC followed, moving ahead 8 percent overall. Food Network added 3 percent, Lifetime was down 5 percent, finishing at 19, while truTV rounded at the top 20, though its viewership was down 3 percent.

Rounding out the top 25 were TLC, Comedy Central, Bravo, Spike and Nick Jr.