The following was issued by the USA Network on Thursday.
USA NETWORK WINS THE SUMMER, RANKING #1 IN KEY DEMOS ACROSS ALL BASIC CABLE
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ‘MR. ROBOT’ RANKS AS SUMMER’S #2 NEW CABLE SERIES
POWERHOUSE DRAMA ‘SUITS’ EARNS TOP 5 SPOT IN SCRIPTED BASIC CABLE
WWE CONTINUES ITS REIGN AS THE #1 WEEKLY SERIES ON CABLE
NEW YORK – September 3, 2015 – USA Network tops all basic cable networks this summer (June-August) in the key demos P18-49 (779,000), P25-54 (843,000) and P18-34 (367,000) in press prime. The network’s success was driven by the critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit original drama MR. ROBOT and the ratings juggernaut WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW, as well as the network’s popular returning original series including SUITS, GRACELAND, CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST, and ROYAL PAINS. USA’s powerful slate of acquired content, including LAW & ORDER: SVU and NCIS also helped fuel the win.
Season-to-date, the breakout hit MR. ROBOT is averaging 1.4MM P18-49, 1.5MM P25-54 and 2.8MM total P2+, making it the #2 new scripted basic cable drama series of the summer and #3 new scripted basic cable drama series of the year in the key demos. To-date, MR. ROBOT has been sampled 17.4MM times across all platforms — including linear, VOD, iTunes, USAnetwork.com and multiple digital outlets. The show has garnered 9.3MM VOD transactions thus far and was July’s #1 basic cable performer across Comcast on demand platforms. Also the series is regularly ranked among the top five most downloaded series on iTunes. On USAnetwork.com, MR. ROBOT recorded the highest engagement rate of any first season USA original (14 min. vs. average 6 min.) and the most video streams for a new USA series in five years (6.4MM season-to-date).
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW continues to be the most-watched, regularly scheduled, year-round program on cable, airing a live three-hour block every Monday night, 52 weeks a year. This summer RAW again earned a spot in the top ten shows on television, averaging 1.83MM P18-49, 1.965MM P25-54, 949K P18-34 and 4.22MM P2+.
SUITS delivered a strong summer performance, ranking as a top 5 basic cable scripted drama among P18-49 (1.5MM) and a top 10 summer basic cable series among P2+ (3.8MM).
In 2015 to-date, CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST has seen high double-digit growth in P18-49 (+43%), P25-54 (+68%) and P2+ (+58%), compared to 2014. CHRISLEY was the top unscripted cable series on Comcast’s XFinity on Demand service in July and has garnered 15.5MM VOD transactions this year across all on demand services.
ROYAL PAINS, which has been renewed for an eighth season, averaged 3MM viewers P2+, and GRACELAND is averaging 1.6MM P2+ leading into the thrilling third season finale.
USA boasts a portfolio that includes the some of the strongest-performing acquired series on cable in primetime, with LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT and NCIS ranking as the top two acquired dramas in prime this summer in P18-49 (SVU 544,000 / NCIS 378,000), P25-54 (SVU 570,000 / NCIS 492,000) and total viewers P2+ (SVU 1.5MM / NCIS 1.9MM).
In addition to the network’s on air success, USANetwork.com enjoyed one of its strongest summers ever, following a site redesign at the end of May. Year-over-year engagement significantly increased in terms of total streams (+144%), average time spent (+67%), and unique visitors (+16%). In July alone, the site earned 3.4MM uniques, 10.5MM video streams (the highest in five years) and users spent 24.6 minutes per visit.
About USA Network
USA Network, the leader in cable entertainment, offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals in more than 102 million U.S. homes. The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Watch USA Network anywhere: On Demand, online or across mobile and connected TVs.