C3 Ratings Show Decline in November

C3 commercial ratings—the numbers used to buy and sell advertising—were down in November, according to an analysis by Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson Research.

On the broadcast networks, viewership among adults 18-49 was flat in primetime, while cable ratings were down 8%. That left a total decline of 4%.

For total day, viewing was down 6%. The broadcasters were down 1%, while cable was off 9%.

“Putting these declines in historical context, we see a sequential improvement for broadcast networks (-8% last month) in primetime and a step down in cable networks (-6% last month),” Nathanson said in a report Thursday. “As we have noted previously, some of these declines can also be attributed to universe changes (such as Nielsen’s incorporation of the broadband-only home) and changing viewership habits.”

Among the broadcasters, Fox’s ratings jumped 20% and NBC was up 3%. ABC was down 15% and CBS was off 1%.

For cable, Time Warner’s portfolio was up 7% in primetime and Scripps Networks Interactive posted a 4% gain. The other programmers were down, with A+E down 20%.

The best performing networks were Adult Swim, BET and Nick at Nite, while ESPN, USA and A&E posted the largest declines.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.