ESPN topped the cable primetime adults 18-49 ratings for the week, and will likely stay there through the football season. ESPN also dethroned USA Network to win the week in primetime average viewership. Nickelodeon remained 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 Ending September 18, 2011
| Net | (000) |
| ESPN | 4473 |
| USA | 2854 |
| DSNY | 2491 |
| TNT | 1865 |
| FOXN | 1841 |
| HIST | 1831 |
| A&E | 1578 |
| FX | 1370 |
| SYFY | 1251 |
| HGTV | 1246 |
| MTV | 1238 |
| ADSM | 1228 |
| TBSC | 1182 |
| FOOD | 1155 |
| LIFE | 1150 |
| DISC | 1081 |
| TRU | 1028 |
| NAN | 1016 |
| AMC | 991 |
| SPK | 990 |
| TLC | 957 |
| FAM | 954 |
| CNN | 883 |
| NKJR | 871 |
| BRAV | 823 |
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Adults 18-49 Prime-time Average (Live+SD)
| Net | (000) |
| ESPN | 2294 |
| USA | 1100 |
| MTV | 825 |
| HIST | 790 |
| FX | 776 |
| A&E | 776 |
| TBSC | 713 |
| DISC | 588 |
| TNT | 575 |
| ADSM | 567 |
| FOOD | 544 |
| SYFY | 536 |
| SPK | 530 |
| CMDY | 522 |
| TRU | 517 |
| BRAV | 512 |
| FAM | 505 |
| TLC | 496 |
| DSNY | 480 |
| LIFE | 477 |
| AMC | 404 |
| HGTV | 395 |
| NAN | 363 |
| BET | 322 |
| VH1 | 307 |
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Total Day Average Viewers (Live+SD)
| Net | (000) |
| NICK | 1738 |
| ESPN | 1598 |
| DSNY | 1591 |
| USA | 1476 |
| ADSM | 1325 |
| TNT | 1062 |
| FOXN | 1046 |
| NAN | 1013 |
| TOON | 911 |
| A&E | 816 |
| HIST | 767 |
| FX | 718 |
| HGTV | 684 |
| TBSC | 677 |
| MTV | 626 |
| TRU | 616 |
| FOOD | 604 |
| LIFE | 577 |
| DISC | 557 |
| NKJR | 555 |
| AMC | 535 |
| TVLD | 522 |
| FAM | 510 |
| TLC | 500 |
| CMDY | 497 |
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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
