The ongoing NBA Playoffs kept TNT in the cable top spot for adults 18-49 primetime ratings and average viewership last week, and put ESPN (also with NBA Playoff games) in second. Non-sports power USA Network was third in both.
SpongeBob kept Nickelodeon comfortably at the top of the total day average viewership rankings.
For the week's top 25 individual cable programs click here.
Prime-time Average Viewers (Live+SD) Week of May 16-22, 2011
| Network | (000s) |
| TNT | 3,262 |
| ESPN | 2,690 |
| USA | 2,644 |
| DSNY | 2,612 |
| FOXN | 1,764 |
| HIST | 1,689 |
| FAM | 1,472 |
| NAN | 1,341 |
| DISC | 1,295 |
| ADSM | 1,274 |
| A&E | 1,148 |
| TBSC | 1,123 |
| HGTV | 1,109 |
| LIFE | 1,042 |
| AMC | 1,023 |
| FX | 1,006 |
| CMDY | 992 |
| TRU | 961 |
| SYFY | 923 |
| BRAV | 911 |
| TLC | 902 |
| SPD | 890 |
| FOOD | 877 |
| TVLD | 793 |
| MTV | 768 |
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Adults 18-49 Prime-time Average (Live+SD)
| Network | (000s) |
| TNT | 1,728 |
| ESPN | 1,351 |
| USA | 1,049 |
| HIST | 740 |
| FAM | 717 |
| DISC | 695 |
| TBSC | 665 |
| CMDY | 631 |
| ADSM | 614 |
| BRAV | 598 |
| A&E | 536 |
| DSNY | 525 |
| FX | 523 |
| AMC | 491 |
| TLC | 471 |
| TRU | 461 |
| MTV | 458 |
| LIFE | 427 |
| FOOD | 399 |
| HGTV | 387 |
| SPK | 380 |
| SYFY | 379 |
| NAN | 360 |
| VH1 | 328 |
| VS | 324 |
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Total Day Average Viewers (Live+SD)
| Network | (000s) |
| NICK | 2,017 |
| DSNY | 1,609 |
| TNT | 1,423 |
| ADSM | 1,386 |
| USA | 1,300 |
| NAN | 1,241 |
| FOXN | 1,062 |
| ESPN | 1,035 |
| TOON | 959 |
| HIST | 813 |
| FAM | 792 |
| A&E | 722 |
| AMC | 681 |
| HGTV | 675 |
| TBSC | 672 |
| FX | 663 |
| DISC | 657 |
| TRU | 651 |
| LIFE | 600 |
| FOOD | 559 |
| NKJR | 540 |
| TVLD | 538 |
| CMDY | 534 |
| SPK | 504 |
| CNN | 487 |
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Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2011 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
Cable Channel Abbreviations: NICK = Nickelodeon, NAN = Nick At Nite, TOON = Cartoon Network, ADSM = Adult Swim, TRU = truTV, LIFE = Lifetime, NKJR - Nick Jr., FAM = ABC Family, TVLD = TV Land, FOXN = Fox News, TBSC = TBS, DISC = Discovery
