Two of cable’s hottest networks, Turner Network Television and Disney Channel, topped the cable Nielsen Media Research charts in the third quarter ending Sept. 30.
TNT claimed the top spot with a 2.1 prime-time rating and 2.4 million viewers.
Disney followed with a 1.9 average rating and 2.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.
TNT’s ratings were up 17% compared with a year ago and Disney’s marks were up 46%.
With football season under way, ESPN’s numbers are climbing. The sports network finished the quarter with a 1.6 average and 1.8 million viewers, but its September marks were much higher -- a 2.4 rating with 2.8 million viewers.
Its National Football League coverage drew some of the biggest crowds on cable.
Of the quarter’s five highest-rated programs, four were NFL games, led by the Sept. 21 matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, which scored a 9.0 rating.
MTV: Music Television's 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
was the top-rated nonfootball show.
Lifetime Television finished the quarter with a 1.8 rating, off 14% from a year ago, and 1.9 million viewers.
Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network each recorded a 1.7 rating, which was a 6% slip for Nick and a 6% boost for Cartoon.
Nick attracted 1.9 million viewers to Cartoon’s 1.8 million.
