MediaBuyerPlanner: ESPN continues to maintain its ranking as the No. 1 ad-supported cable channel, averaging 4.33 million total viewers and a 3.5 household rating in prime time.
Those figures outdistance its nearest rival, TNT, by some 1.8 million viewers, writes Mediaweek. The fourth installment of Monday Night Football – which has broken records for viewership this season – delivered 12.9 million total viewers, making it the most watched program on ad-supported cable for the week ending Oct. 8.
Comparatively, TNT’s top performer for the week was the Tom Hanks film Castaway, which averaged 3.96 million viewers in its three showings.
ESPN also scored big in all core demos, including adults 18-49 (2.05 million viewers), 18-34 (935,000) and 25-54 (2.12 million).
USA Network took third for the week, with 2.43 million total viewers, thanks mostly to a two-hour presentation of WWE Raw. That showing averaged 4.77 million viewers when it aired on Monday night from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. That network was also helped by a Sunday night repeat of Law & Order:SVU, which brought in 4.08 million viewers.
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