Hot Spots
 15.6 Million Viewers Watch Drew Brees Make HistoryThe season-concluding MNF telecast of the Saints-Falcons game averaged a 10.6 cable rating, 10.5 million households and 15.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen. ESPN averaged a 9.7 cable rating, 8.4 U.S. rating, 9.59 million households and 13.3 million viewers over 17 MNF telecasts in the 2011 season, according to Nielsen data. |
 NFL Network Sets ‘TNF’ Mark, Averaging 6.2 Million ViewersNFL Network scored its top Thursday Night Football coverage mark during the 2011 season. The network averaged a record 6.2 milllion viewers for eight contests, recording an 8% gain over its previous mark of 5.7 million in 2010. Since kicking off game coverage during the 2006 season, TNF has almost doubled its contest viewership from the 3.1 million during its rookie campaign. |
 TNT Nets Cable’s Fourth-Largest NBA Regular-Season TelecastThe NBA returned on Christmas and unwrapped Nielsen presents, highlighted by TNT scoring the fourth-largest regular-season audience in cable history. TNT netted a 3.4 U.S. household rating, 3.9 million households and 5.9 million viewers for its coverage of the New York Knicks-Boston Celtics season-opener at noon (ET), according to Nielsen data. |
 ‘American Horror Story’ Terrifies Record Viewership in First-Season FinaleFX’s supernatural thriller American Horror Story finished off its first season on a Nielsen high. The Dec. 21 telecast averaged 3.22 million viewers, according to Nielsen data, up from the 3.2 million watchers that greeted the series during its Oct. 5 debut. The series will return for a second season with 13 episodes. |
 AMC Renews ‘Hell on Wheels’ for Second SeasonAMC has renewed Reconstruction-era Western drama Hell on Wheels for a second season, the network announced Tuesday. The series ranks as AMC’s second-highest rated, behind zombie hit The Walking Dead, averaging 3.2 million viewers and 1.5 million Adults 25-54 in its first season, according to Nielsen. The season finale of Hell on Wheels will air on Sunday, Jan. 15. |
 ‘Hardcore Pawn’ Sets truTV Network Record with 2.7 Million ViewerstruTV’s hit show Hardcore Pawn has done it again, drawing an extraordinary 2.7 million viewers, making it truTV’s most-watched series telecast ever. Continuing its unprecedented momentum, truTV will finish 2011 with the best primetime deliveries of Adults 18-34, Men 18-34 and Men 18-49 in the network’s entire history. |
 ‘Flying Wild Alaska’ Delivers Highest-Rated EpisodeThe 10 p.m. premiere telecast of Flying Wild Alaska earned a 1.81 HH / 1.17 P25-54 AA%,delivering an average of 2.51 million viewers, according to Nielsen Data. The telecast was the highest-rated in the history of the series among P/W25-54 and P/W18-49 and was the #2 non-sports cable program among P/M25-54 ratings and delivery on Friday night. |
 ‘Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72’ Airs on NBC Sports Network Debut Day2011 – Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72 presented by Lexus, a 90-minute documentary with limited commercial interruption, will be a featured component in the launch of the NBC Sports Network. The documentary will air at 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, the same day the channel is re-branded from Versus. |
