ABC Family will head into its upfront presentation to advertisers this week with incredible ratings momentum as it seeks to reinforce its programming appeal to its core millennial audience.
The network finished its best quarter ever in several audience demos, including total viewers (1.4 million viewers) and its target 12-to-34 “millennial” audience (640,000 viewers), according to Nielsen Media Research.
Driving the network’s ratings push are its original scripted series, led by freshman drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The series, about a young teen dealing with an unwanted pregnancy, finished its first season last month as the network’s most-watched series ever, averaging 3.9 million viewers and consistently outdrawing Gossip Girls on broadcaster The CW in head-to-head competition, according to the network’s president Paul Lee.
ABC Family’s family-targeted movies are also burning up the ratings charts. The network’s Jan. 18 premiere of Another Cinderella Story was the top cable movie for the quarter, drawing 5.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
ABC Family rides high into upfronts
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Bring back Kyle XY!
All this stuff is true. On the other hand, sitcoms Roommates and Sophie have bombed. And last Monday, Greek’s premiere was seen by less than a million viewers, making it the lowest premiere the show’s ever had. (Though if it followed its previous ratings pattern, 80 percent of Greek’s viewers were in the 12-34 range, compared to, say, 40 percent for Kyle XY.) And Another Cinderella Story did very well, though ABC Family has certainly had plenty of movies do badly; I assume Au Pair 3 bombed last month, for instance.
I heard that Au Pair 3 got over 4.8 million viewer, so that’s not a bomb.
I agree bring kyle xy back!!! Its funny they never mentioned the new shows being so well received… LOL
ABC Family is treating Lincoln Heights pretty badly. I don’t watch it, but every episode averaged over 1.1 million viewers last year IIRC. That built over its previous two seasons. ABC Family also has its new show “10 Things I Hate About You” coming this summer/fall. (Yes, its based on the movie) To me, it seems like ABC Family is turning more towards females now.
ABC Family ROCKS!
As long as they keep Greek around for at least a season or 3 more I don’t care.
If Au Pair 3 had reached over 4.8 million viewers, 2 things would’ve happened. First, ABC Family would’ve put out a lengthy press release about how much butt they kicked in the ratings. Second, it would’ve been the #3 show on cable that week, and even if ABC Family’s PR people were asleep at the wheel, that would’ve come out.
Lincoln Heights has grown in the ratings each season. Until now, though, Greek has also grown in the ratings each (half-)season, and has been slightly higher rated than Lincoln Heights.
So far as I know, all of ABC Family’s series trend female. Back when ABC Family praised Kyle XY’s ratings, roughly two-thirds of the 12-34 year olds watching were female. Ditto for Greek and Lincoln Heights. Secret Life skews even more female–something like more than 80 percent–but ABC Family definitely excels with females in a way it simply doesn’t with males.