Topic: The Amazing Race 16 Ratings Thread

[mswood]

Finals are out

60 Minutes
10.811 million viewers
1.6 adults 18-49

TAR
10.213 million viewers
3.2 adults 18-49 (100% increase over 60 minutes)
4.1 adults 25-54
20th in viewers for the week, 21st in adults 18-49

Undercover Boss
15.154 million viewers
5.1 adults 18-49
(this show is a big hit for CBS, I don't get it, but whatever).

Our season average to date is
9.408 million viewers
2.967 adults 18-49
3.767 adults 25-54

Versus last spring
9.203 million viewers
2.733 adults 18-49
3.533 adults 25-54

[Caelestor]

The oscars had an impact on Leg 4's ratings, but TAR still did pretty well.

8.054 million viewers, 2.6 in A18-49

[mswood]

60 minutes hit a series low with 5.580 million viewers and (either a .9, .95, 1.0) in adults 18-49).

Here is how we fared against the last oscars.

7.813 and a 2.6 in adults (season 14).


8.170 and a 2.9 in adults (season 11).

[mswood]

Finals are out


TAR
8.111 million
2.6 adults 18-49

Not bad.

[mswood]

Some DVR results for the 2nd episode of this season.

We went to a 3.25 in adults 18-49 (from a 2.9) an increase of .35.

[theschnauzers]

Was there any info on the overall audience?

[mswood]

Was there any info on the overall audience?

No the site that I get most of my info from stopped reporting DVR viewership instead just demo performance because viewers really don't matter at all.  Its all about the demo.

[georgiapeach]

Why is that?? Is it supposed to be the disposable income group??

[mswood]

Why is that?? Is it supposed to be the disposable income group??

Well, what they figure (and how they get paid) is the the younger you are as a legal adult the more easily swayed you will be to changing brands and to be influenced by commercials.  Obviously they know the older you are the greater chance of you having larger financial resources.  But they fell you are less likely to be swayed to change brands or be influenced by a commercial. 

Thats why the VW network (and Fox to a lesser degree) focus so much on adults 18-34 (the group most likely to be influenced by commercials yet old enough to have their own income), then its 18-49, then we have CBS touted 25-54 age group (which person for person brings in far less revenue then either of the other groups.  Then you have adults 50 plus (yeah 60 minutes I am talking to you) and for the most part this groups doesn't matter in the slightest, they might as well drop off the face of the planet.  With two exceptions, medical ads to target this audience and if, like 60 minutes, yo have an incredible high income level for your average watcher it helps balance out a little of the fact that the age of the viewer is well older.

So you have two shows the Office and the Mentalist.  One gets 15 plus million viewers one gets usually 8 million (the Office) yet the Office makes a lot more money for NBC then the Mentalist does for CBS (and thats with it having nearly twice as many viewers).

[Caelestor]

10.227 million viewers and a 3.0 average in A18-49 for Leg 5.

[theschnauzers]

First "normal" programming week since this edition premiere a month ago, and TAR placed first for the time slot. Wile there's still a preemption week ahead in a month  we have basketball overruns ahead the next two weeks with "March Madness" starting (the 21st and the 28th), and the Masters the weekend after that (April 5th).

[mswood]

Press release from CBS (this is for Fast Nationals and not for Final Numbers).

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/03/15/undercover-boss-tops-the-premiere-of-celebrity-apprentice-and-desperate-housewives-in-viewers-and-key-demos/44990

via press release:
CBS’s SUNDAY REALITY DUO WINS TIME PERIODS
“The Amazing Race” Places First at 8:00 PM in Viewers and Demos with Week-to-Week Increases
“Undercover Boss” Tops the Premiere of “Celebrity Apprentice” and “Desperate Housewives” in Viewers and Key Demos
CBS Wins Sunday in Viewers and Key Demographics
CBS’s Sunday reality duo—THE AMAZING RACE 16 and UNDERCOVER BOSS—both won their time periods in viewers and key demographics, leading CBS to a nightly victory in all key ratings measures, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same day ratings for March 14.
At 8:00 PM, THE AMAZING RACE 16 was first in households (5.9/10), viewers (10.23m), adults 25-54 (3.8/10) and adults 18-49 (3.0/08).  Compared to last week, THE AMAZING RACE 16 was up +31% in households (from 4.5/07), +15% in both adults 25-54 (from 3.3/07) and adults 18-49 (from 2.6/06) and added +2.12m viewers (from 8.11m, +26%).
At 9:00 PM, UNDERCOVER BOSS was first in households (7.7/12), viewers (13.29m), adults 25-54 (4.9/11) and adults 18-49 (3.8/10).  UNDERCOVER BOSS beat “Desperate Housewives” in viewers (vs. 11.82m, +12%), adults 25-54 (vs. 4.4/10, +11%) and adults 18-49 (vs. 3.6/09, +6%). UNDERCOVER BOSS also beat the first hour of “Celebrity Apprentice” in viewers (vs. 7.43m, +79%), adults 18-49 (vs. 2.8/07, +36%) and adults 25-54 (vs. 3.3/07. +48%)
For the night, CBS was first in households (6.8/11), viewers (11.35m), adults 25-54 (3.6/09) and adults 18-49 (2.8/08).

And not only did we win the hour in those three groups, we also won the half hour in each of them (occasionally one of the Fox animated shows passes us for a half hour), not this week.

[theschnauzers]

Well, the CBS press release does give the final audience numbers for last week, which, IIRC, we didn't get last week.

And the CBS press release on the weekly numbers is out (via The Futon Critic):
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20100316cbs01

Pertinent quotes:

"Amazing Race" and "Undercover Boss" Pace CBS's First In-Season Sunday Win in Adults 18-49 With and Against Regularly Scheduled Programming Since the Start of the 2004-2005 Season

CBS won the week in viewers with the top eight scripted series, placed first at 10:00 PM every weeknight in viewers and adults 18-49 and won its first in-season Sunday in adults 18-49 (with and against regularly scheduled programming) since 2004, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending March 14, week 25 of the 2009-2010 television season.

-- Sunday, CBS was first in households (6.9/12), viewers (11.45m), adults 25-54 (3.7/09) and adults 18-49 (2.8/08). This was CBS's first Sunday win in adults 18-49, without sports delays and with and against regularly scheduled programming, since "Desperate Housewives" premiered on ABC in October 2004. CBS won every half-hour in viewers.

THE AMAZING RACE 16 was first in households (5.8/10), viewers (10.10m), adults 25-54 (3.9/10) and adults 18-49 (3.0/09). Compared to last week, THE AMAZING RACE 16 was up +29% in households (from 4.5/07), +18% in adults 25-54 (from 3.3/07), +15% in adults 18-49 (from 2.6/06) and added +1.99m viewers (from 8.11m, +24%).

COLD CASE was first in households (6.3/11) and viewers (10.23m); the show tied for second in adults 18-49 (2.4/07, with ABC).

CBS's top programs of the week: #3 NCIS (an average of 19.58m viewers), #5 TWO AND A HALF MEN (17.61m), #6 NCIS: LOS ANGELES (16.99m), #7 THE BIG BANG THEORY (16.32m), #8 THE MENTALIST (16.02m), #9 CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (15.25m), #10 THE GOOD WIFE (13.95m), #11 UNDERCOVER BOSS (13.51m), #12 CRIMINAL MINDS (13.29m), #14 SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS (12.12m), #16 60 MINUTES (11.98m), #17 CSI: MIAMI (11.93m), #18 CSI: NY (11.07m), #20 COLD CASE (10.23m), #21 THE AMAZING RACE 16 (10.10m), #22 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (10.07m) and #23 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (10.06m).

[mswood]

We also got DVR results for episode #3.  TAR's adult 18-49 rating went from a 3.19 (reported as a 3.2) to a 3.51 a 10% increase.  Sorry no viewer data (and wont have it unless CBS puts out a press release for DVR (and even then we not might have enough growth in total viewers to get mentioned (they typical report gains of a million or more).

[swimmer12]

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/2010/tv-news/idol-24-and-v-among-tvs-top-moneymakers/

Do we know how the amazing race usually does? Also is amazing race expensive to produce? Everyone always says how reality tv is cheap to produce but i feel like it would be expensive. How is it compared to like scripted shows like Two and a Half Men and CIS?

[Caelestor]

Considering all the foreign travel, TAR may be the most expensive reality show out there (hence why CBS doesn't renew 2 cycles at once). Of course, that's why it trumps a lot of other reality TV. (I prefer to use the show game show competition; don't know why people call it "reality").

An episode of TAR costs maybe $1 million? Still considerably cheaper than NCIS/BBT. The thing that makes "reality TV" cheaper is the lack of writers' salary (see what happened in the last strike!) and building sets. Special effects also don't come cheap!

[mswood]

Yeah most hour long scripted shows run between 2 million to 5 plus in budget.

Even the hour longs on the CW cost more to produce.

[swimmer12]

so the amazing race is a big money gainer for cbs?

[mswood]

No not really.

There are two major factors that effect reality shows versus scripted shows.

Take an hour drama, that costs say 3 million.  CBS knows it will not break even during its original broadcast (very few do).  They depend on 4 other revenue streams.

1.  The one network rerun (ie during Dec, Jan, and Summer).  TAR has no reruns.  So no extra broadcast to earn more money.
2.  DVD sales (and to a much much smaller degree Internet sales.  TAR generates very little here, almost all scripted material performs better, and in most cases by millions (and some tens of millions of dollar).
3.  Overseas Broadcast, While TAR does get broadcast out of the US/Canada region it doesn't have the same amount of coverage that many shows get.  But it is very difficult to gauge how much revenue is generated here, I would say on average less then most comedies or drama.
4.  Off network syndication, TAR has been syndicated but on an extremely small scale.  Crime shows, octor shows, major comedies can make hundreds of millions (most make tens of millions) a rare few have over a billion in revenue for their studios.

TAR is an above average performer for CBS on its broadcast, but it really has a very limit revenue stream.  Cold Case for example will make the studio more money then TAR will (in the long run).  Probably a lot more.

[Caelestor]

Good numbers for leg 6 due to NCAA overrun: 

4.0 and 12.4 million viewers!

[mswood]

I would expect that number to go down slightly as some of Undercover Boss was included (normally we don't go down, but normally we don't have a show that performs stronger then we do after us).  But never the less great result.

[Hooky]

I love it when TAR hits 12 million!

[theschnauzers]

I guess there must be a million TAR fans who watch Desparate Housewives. That's the only explanation I ccan think of that TAR was almost a million fewer viewers that the rest of the CBS line-up. instead of being the highest of the night.

[mswood]

Typically even with sports overruns we often loss viewers between both the normal 7pm and 9pm hours. 

What will be interesting is what are demo ends up being.  If, if we can hold on to that 4.0.  It will be the 2nd largest audience in adults 18-49 on Sunday in TAR history.  Only season 12's premiere boosted by the highly anticipated Patriots equals that.

And as it stands now we have a shot of this season being the highest Spring season since moving to Sunday's for TAR.

[mswood]

Finals are out and like I thought we dropped.

TAR
11.987 million viewers
3.8 in adults 18-49 (still great just not unbelievably great)

It's still the best demo performance since the next to last episode of season 11.  And the 2nd best performance the show has during the spring since moving to Sundays.