U.S. Cable Finales Deliver Strong Gains

NEW YORK: The final episode of Battlestar Galactica scored 2.4 million live viewers for SCI FI, while HBO drew 2.7 million viewers for the third season finale of Big Love.

Battlestar Galactica ended its four-season run on Friday night with its most-watched episode ever. The finale topped the rankings among adult male viewers, beating all non-sports cable and broadcast outlets in males 18-49 and males 25-54, including new episodes of both Dollhouse and Sarah Connor Chronicles on FOX. The two-hour telecast was the top show on cable for the day in adults 18 to 49 and 25 to 54. For the entire season, the show averaged 2.3 million total viewers, a 14-percent gain since the third season.

On HBO, meanwhile, Big Love capped off its third season with 2.7 million viewers, a gain of 135 percent on the season premiere. The season averaged more than 6 million viewers across live TV, replays, DVRs and HBO on Demand.