Nick Rules Cable Roost

In the absence of perennial high scorer Sunday Night Football on ESPN, Nickelodeon ruled the cable ratings last week (Oct. 18-24).

Although USA was the most-watched network in prime with an average 2.06 million total viewers for the week, Nick dominated most of the top 20 programming spots with SpongeBob SquarePants claiming the number one (4.35 million), three (4.06 million), six (3.65 million) and nine (3.41 million) spots for total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The network also scored with Fairly Odd Parents tying for spots number one, three and six and 14, and Danny Phantom and Jimmy Neutron tying for 14 as well.

USA was the only network to crack Nick’s stronghold of the top six positions, with its Sunday night airing of Coyote Ugly coming in at number six with 3.76 million viewers.

WWE wrestling on Spike claimed the number nine spot...twice, with its 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. airings tying on Monday Oct. 18, though the 9 p.m. outing drew a few more viewers, 3.41 million to its 3.33 million at 10.

Monday night’s O’Reilly Factor came in at number nine with 3.35 million total viewers.