Unwrapping theatrical The Mummy three times helped Turner Network
Television to tie Lifetime Television in household primetime ratings and score a
hat trick in the adult demos during the first week of 2002.
TNT and Lifetime -- the latter of which was bolstered by a record-setting
performance by its Sunday-night powerhouse, The Division -- both averaged
2.4 household ratings from Dec. 31 through Jan. 6, according to a Turner
Entertainment Research analysis of Nielsen Media Research data.
Lifted by its final National Football League game of the season and college
bowl coverage, ESPN was third in households with a 2.1, ahead of TBS
Superstation and USA Network, each of which posted a 1.7 average.
Rounding out the top 10 in households in primetime were Nickelodeon and
Cartoon Network at a 1.4 apiece; A&E Network with a 1.3; Discovery Channel
at a 1.2; and Cable News Network and MTV: Music Television, both with 1.0
averages.
On a total-day basis, Lifetime, with a 1.5 average, wrested the 24-hour crown
away from perennial leader Nickelodeon, which garnered a 1.4 during the first
week of 2002, according to the Turner analysis.
As for the demo competition, TNT set the paces among adults 18 through 34
(744,000 of those viewers), 18 through 49 (1.66 million) and 25 through 54 (1.71
million). TBS was second among the first two groups with 552,000 and 1.17
million viewers, respectively.
The Turner network ranked third among the older group with 1.19 million
watchers, finishing behind ESPN's 1.39 million. The total sports network placed
third in the other sets, averaging 461,000 viewers aged 18 through 34 and 1.16
million adults 18 through 49.
Among kids six through 11, it was an extremely tight tussle as Cartoon
(665,000 viewers) edged Nickelodeon (664,000) in primetime, according to the
Turner analysis.
Nick turned the tables in total-day with an average of 573,000 of those young
viewers versus 492,000 for Cartoon.
A look at the top shows found The Mummy scaring up three of the top 10
spots, led by a second-place finish for the Jan. 4 airing.
With a 5.0 household rating, 3.51 million 18-through-49 viewers, the delivery
of 3.74 million adults 25 through 54 and 4.28 million viewers overall, The
Mummy was basic cable's No. 1 movie of all time for a Friday night,
according to the Turner research.
The premiere installment of The Division's second season ranked eighth
in households with a 3.4 average Jan. 6 from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. The show also
delivered some 3.89 million viewers.
Both performances were the best ever for the series and matched the March 4,
2001, episode of Strong Medicine as Lifetime's highest-rated
original-series telecast.
Despite having no bearing on the upcoming NFL playoffs, ESPN's presentation
of the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the
top-rated show of the week, averaging a 6.2 household rating Jan. 6.
The network's coverage of the Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve was third with a
4.2, 0.1 points ahead of the Jan. 6 edition of NFL
PrimeTime.
