Aided by a strong performance by its annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming event, ABC Family wrapped up 2014 as the top cable network in primetime among women 18 to 34.
The service also notched its top delivery ever among adults 18 to 34, and viewers 12 to 34, and finished as the No. 2 cable network among females 12 to 34 for the third consecutive year.
Overall, ABC Family averaged a 0.4 rating in Nielsen’s 2014 among total viewers, matching 2013’s level. Its viewership dipped 2% to 1.20 million from 1.22 million.
ABC Family averaged 0.7 rating and 250,000 women 18 to 34 in primetime, according to Nielsen data. Those performances were boosted by a 1.3 rating and 428,000 of those viewers in December, driven by the network’s aforementioned stunt.
The millennial-targeted service recorded its best deliveries ever among persons 18 to 34 and viewers 12 to 34, averaging a 0.5 rating and 350,000 and a 0.6 rating and 509,000 in those demos. In both cases, ABC Family ranked sixth across cable with those measures.
The network placed second for the third year running against females 12 to 34, registering a 0.8 rating and 366,000 watchers among that group.
Additionally, ABC was fourth with women 18 to 49, garnering a 0.6 rating and 401,000 of those viewers; it was the sixth consecutive top 5 finish with this designation. The service also ranked among the Top 10 for the fifth time in six years among adults 18 to 49, netting a 0.5 rating and 585,000.
The network was fueled in no small part by the continuing popularity of its top original series, Pretty Little Liars. The show concluded 2014 as the No. 2 cable series with females 12 to 34 (2.1 million/4.5 rating) and ranked among basic’s top 5 scripted series with adults 18 to 34 (No. 5, 1.5 million viewers/2.3 rating), women 18 to 34 (No, 3, 1.3 million/3.9 rating), women 18 to 49 (No. 4, 1.7 million/2.7 rating) and the 12 to-34 set (No. 4, 2.4 million/2.6 rating).
Including its “25 Days of Christmas 2014” special, Pretty Little Liars extended its skein as cable’s top original show on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. among females 12 to 34 to 108, dating back to its June 2010 premiere.
Lead-out Chasing Life won its Tuesday 9 p.m. cable time period during its freshman season among women 18 to 34 (594,000/1.8 rating), viewers 12 to 34 (1.0 million/1.1 rating) and females 12 to 34 (905,000/2.0 rating).
In its 17th year, 25 Days of Christmas continued to delight, delivering its third-best performance with 2.5 million viewers and 892,000 12-to-34 watchers. The stunt netted its second-best performance among adults 18 to 34 (630,000/0.9 rating), women 18 to 34 (420,000/1.2 rating), adults 18 to 49 (1.2 million/0.9 rating), women 18 to 49 (744,000/1.2 rating) and females 12 to 34 (584,000/1.3 rating).
Gauged against 25 Days in 2013, this year’s event posted across the board, including 4% in total viewers (2.5 million from. 2.4 million), 8% among adults 18 to 34 (630,000 from 582,000), 20% against adults 18 to 49 (1.2 million from 1.0 million) and 12% with viewers 12 to 34 (892,000 from 799,000).
The programming marathon -- led by Elf, ABC Family officials said the service aired the top 10 cable TV movies among adults 18 to 34, the top eight films with adults 18 to 49 and the top 17 with viewers 12-34 – drove the network to its best-ever month in primetime with adults 18 to 49 (1.0 rating, 1.2 million) and women 18 to 49 (1.2 and 769,000).
December 2014 also stands as ABC Family’s second best month among persons 18 to 34 (0.9, 643,000) women of that age (1.3, 428,000) and the 12-to-34 crowd (1.0 rating, 905,000).
The period was the service’s third best among females 12 to 34 (1.3 rating, 592,000) and 2.5 million total viewers.
ABC Family trailed only ESPN’s 3.3 million average audience among cable networks in December.
