DISCOVERY CHANNEL SETS RATINGS AND VIEWERSHIP RECORDS IN 2Q15 WITH SWEEPING INCREASES VS 2Q14
DEADLIEST CATCH #1 on Cable among Persons and Men during 2Q15
July 7, 2015
Discovery Channel delivered its most watched second quarter ever in Total Viewers P2+ as well as its highest rated second quarter among both Persons 25-54 and Men 25-54 in L+3. Discovery delivered double digit increases in all 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34 demo categories, among others, vs. 2Q14, as DEADLIEST CATCH sailed through as the #1 unscripted original series on cable in key demos for the quarter.
Discovery made major viewership and ratings strides with millennials, core viewers, kids, and families during 2Q15 with double-digit increases in Total Viewers P2+ (up +17 % vs. 2Q14), Persons 25-54 (+15%) Men 25-54 (+11%), Women 25-54 (+20%), Persons 18-49 (+15%), Men 18-49 (+13%), Women 18-49 (18%), Persons 18-34 (+16%), Men 18-34 (+17%), Women 18-34 (+13%) and Persons 6-11 (+18%). The network also earned increases in Persons 12-17 (+9% vs. 2Q14).
During 2015, Discovery climbed the demo rankers and broke into the Top 10 in ad-supported cable vs. 2Q14 in Persons 25-54 (#4 - up two positions vs. 2Q14), Men 25-54 (#3 - up two positions) Women 25-54 (#9 - up seven positions), Persons 18-49 (#5 - up two positions), Men 18-49 (#3 - up three positions), Persons 18-34 (#9 - up 9 positions), Men 18-34 (#7 - up 4 positions) and Total Viewers P2+ (#8 - up one position on the ranker vs. 2Q14)
DEADLIEST CATCH completed 2Q15 as the #1 unscripted cable original series in Men 25-54, Men 18-49 and Persons 25-54. In Men 25-54/18-49, Discovery had all five of cable's Top 5 unscripted series, including DEADLIEST CATCH, NAKED AND AFRAID, ALASKAN BUSH PEOPLE, FAST N' LOUD and STREET OUTLAWS, and four series in the top 10 unscripted original series in Persons 25-54 leading with DEADLIEST CATCH (#1), followed by ALASKAN BUSH PEOPLE (#3), NAKED AND AFRAID (#5) and STREET OUTLAWS (#8).
Coupling Discovery's 2Q15 successes with its earlier 1Q15 success (highest rated quarter ever), the network has delivered its highest rated Prime Time ever for the first half of the year in P25-54 (+8%) vs. the same time period in 2014.
Source: The Nielsen Company, L+3, coverage area ratings, TP-based for all dayparts. "Best ever" stories and quoted % changes based on ratings (two decimals), network/program ranks based on 000s; YTD & 2Q excl. single TC from series rankers.