'Soul Train Awards '12' Draws 3.4 Million Viewers

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BET’s The Soul Train Awards ‘12 special drew 3.4 million viewers, according to network officials.

The audience for the annual music awards show was down from the 3.7 million watchers that tuned into the special on BET in 2011, but the show posted triple digit timeslot gains on the network compared to the season-to-date average prior to its premiere, according to the network.

The show, which was also simulcast on Centric, featured such performers as New Edition, 2 Chainz, Stevie Wonder, and John Legend.

On the digital side, The Soul Train  Awards  ’12 was the 2nd most social show on air last night on both broadcast and cable and also enjoyed a 40% increase in chatter year-over-year, according toTrendrr.tv.

BET also garnered strong ratings for a sneak preview of its new series Apollo Live!, which premiered immediately after Soul Train Awards ’12. The show, a revamping of the classic Showtime At The Apollo variety series, averaged 2.8 million viewers, according to BET.

Apollo Live! will officially debut on BET Thursday, and on Centric this Saturday, said network officials. 

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.