BET's 'The Game' Scores 5.3 Million Viewers in Season Premiere

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While it fell short of last year's record-setting premiere, BET's season five premiere of The Game still scored with viewers.

The series, which chronicles the lives of characters revolving around a fictional pro football team, averaged 5.3 million viewers in its Jan. 10 season five debut, according to Nielsen. The tally was below the series'  January 2011 season four BET premiere, which drew a 7.7 million viewers -- a record for a cable comedy series debut. (Broadcast network CW aired the first three seasons of the series.)

The Game's  season five debut stands as BET's top telecast of the year and cable's top scripted series telecast among adults 18-49, averaging 3.9 million viewers in the demo, said BET.

The network's scripted series Let's Stay Together drew 3.5 million viewers in its sophomore season premiere last night, down from last year's premiere of 4.4 million viewers.

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.