With MTV's top viewership ever, the Video Music Awards had no competition for Sunday night's top cable (or broadcast) ratings, drawing a 6.2 rating for adults 18-49. Warming up for the VMAs saw strong outings by both a special Jersey Shore and the VMA Preshow.
Against the MTV onslaught, True Blood slipped two tenths vs. last week to a 2.9 adults 18-49 rating. Viewership fell from a series high 5.526 million viewers, to a still very strong 5.3 million.
Keeping Up with the Kardashians tumbled 25% from Kim's wedding weekend last week to a 1.5 adults 18-49 rating. Entourage slipped two tenths to a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating. Real Housewives of New Jersey was was down 0.3 to a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating. Curb Your Enthusiasm was down a tenth to a 0.9 adults 18-49 rating. Leverage was steady with another 0.9 adults 18-49 rating at 9pm, and Breaking Bad bucked the VMA competition trend rising a tenth to a 0.8 adults 18-49 rating.
The Weather Channel and other cable news shows continued to benefit from coverage of Hurricane Irene.
We only receive the top 100 cable shows for adults 25-54 for the whole day from our principal source. If you don’t see an original episode of a show here, it’s because it wasn’t in the top 100. I attempt to filter out repeats, kids shows, and most non-primetime shows. Will add extras that come from other sources later as we receive them.
Selected Sunday cable ratings: (all Live+Same Day ratings):
| Show | Net | Time | Viewership (million, Live+SD) | Adults 18-49 rating (Live+SD) |
| 2011 VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS | MTV | 9:00 PM | 12.445 | 6.2 |
| Jersey Shore SSN 4 | MTV | 7:00 PM | 8.028 | 4.4 |
| 2011 VMA PRESHOW | MTV | 8:00 PM | 7.328 | 3.6 |
| True Blood | HBOM | 9:04 PM | 5.312 | 2.9 |
| I JUST WANT PANTS SNK PK | MTV | 11:27 PM | 5.131 | 2.6 |
| KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS | ENT | 10:00 PM | 2.878 | 1.5 |
| Entourage | HBOM | 10:32 PM | 2.164 | 1.3 |
| REAL HSWIVES OF NJ | BRVO | 10:00 PM | 2.386 | 1.0 |
| Ice Road Truckers | HIST | 9:00 PM | 2.831 | 1.0 |
| Jersey Shore SSN 4 | MTV | 6:00 PM | 1.982 | 1.0 |
| Top Gear | HIST | 10:00 PM | 1.977 | 0.9 |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | HBOM | 10:00 PM | 1.871 | 0.9 |
| NG PRESENTS | NGC | 10:00 PM | 2.608 | 0.9 |
| LEVERAGE | TNT | 9:00 PM | 3.218 | 0.9 |
| Drop Dead Diva | LIF | 9:00 PM | 2.532 | 0.8 |
| Breaking Bad | AMC | 10:00 PM | 1.913 | 0.8 |
| WEEKEND VIEW | TWC | 9:00 AM | 2.694 | 0.7 |
| RESTAURANT IMPOSSIBLE | FOOD | 1:00 PM | 1.473 | 0.6 |
| GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE | FOOD | 9:00 PM | 1.794 | 0.6 |
| AGAINST THE WALL | LIF | 10:00 PM | 1.863 | 0.6 |
| GLADES, THE | AEN | 10:00 PM | 2.711 | 0.6 |
| SANDWICH KING | FOOD | 11:30 AM | 1.366 | 0.6 |
| NG PRESENTS | NGC | 7:00 PM | 1.662 | 0.6 |
| WEEKEND VIEW | TWC | 7:00 AM | 2.365 | 0.6 |
| Auction Hunters | SPIKE | 9:30 PM | 1.586 | 0.5 |
| HOARDING: BURIED ALIVE | TLC | 9:00 PM | 1.512 | 0.5 |
| CUPCAKE WARS | FOOD | 8:00 PM | 1.383 | 0.5 |
| Chopped | FOOD | 12:00 PM | 1.206 | 0.5 |
| Good Luck Charlie | DSNY | 8:00 PM | 3.125 | 0.5 |
| HURRICANE IRENE | FOXNC | 9:00 AM | 2.642 | 0.5 |
| HOLMES INSPECTION | HGTV | 9:00 PM | 1.830 | 0.5 |
| STATE OF THE UNION | CNN | 9:00 AM | 1.858 | 0.5 |
| American Pickers | HIST | 6:00 PM | 1.626 | 0.5 |
| YARD CRASHERS | HGTV | 11:00 AM | 1.271 | 0.5 |
| RON WHITE: BEHAVIORAL | CMDY | 9:03 PM | 1.250 | 0.5 |
| Ice Road Truckers | HIST | 8:00 PM | 1.459 | 0.4 |
| CNN NEWSROOM | CNN | 10:00 AM | 1.833 | 0.4 |
| MLB SUNDAY NIGHT | ESPN | 7:58 PM | 1.584 | 0.4 |
| Time Machine | HIST | 7:00 PM | 1.057 | 0.4 |
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To see past daily cable ratings posts click here.
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Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2011 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
