Sort of a working vacation day for me, but this isn’t much work. The list below represents the top 20 basic advertising supported cable program airings for the month of June through Sunday, June 28.
Please note — these numbers, especially for programs in the early part of June will look a little different than some versions of them you have seen elsewhere. That’s because where Live+7 (live plus a week’s worth of DVR viewing) were available they were used and where they weren’t, the typical Live+SD (same day DVR viewing through 3am the morning after the show aired) numbers were used. Figure any airing on 6/15 or later is Live+SD rather than Live+7 (I have included show air dates in the table below).
This also gives us a little insight into the impact of the full week’s worth of DVR viewing on show’s like Burn Notice. For example, Burn Notice’s Live+SD numbers for its premiere on June 4 was 5.992 million. But when the extra week of DVR viewing was factored in, it shot up to 7.449 million or an increase of 24.3%.
Special props to the top three shows below though, since those are all Live+SD numbers and didn’t even need the extra 6 days of DVR viewing to take the top spots.
Top 20 cable programs June 1-28, 2009:
| Rank | Date | Program | Net | Time | P2+ AA000 |
| 1 | 6/28/2009 | BET AWARDS SHOW | BET | 08:00P-11:44P | 10,653 |
| 2 | 6/22/2009 | JON & KATE PLUS 8 | TLC | 09:00P-10:00P | 10,605 |
| 3 | 6/26/2009 | PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGR | DSNY | 08:00P-09:45P | 8,533 |
| 4 | 6/8/2009 | CLOSER, THE | TNT | 09:00P-10:00P | 8,448 |
| 5 | 6/4/2009 | BURN NOTICE | USA | 09:00P-10:00P | 7,499 |
| 6 | 6/22/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 10:00P-11:08P | 7,298 |
| 7 | 6/11/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:00P | 6,916 |
| 8 | 6/4/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:17P | 6,856 |
| 9 | 6/1/2009 | JON & KATE PLUS 8 | TLC | 09:30P-10:00P | 6,841 |
| 10 | 6/11/2009 | BURN NOTICE | USA | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,627 |
| 11 | 6/18/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:00P | 6,503 |
| 12 | 6/15/2009 | CLOSER, THE | TNT | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,469 |
| 13 | 6/22/2009 | CLOSER, THE | TNT | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,410 |
| 14 | 6/1/2009 | JON & KATE PLUS 8 | TLC | 09:00P-09:30P | 6,285 |
| 15 | 6/22/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,263 |
| 16 | 6/8/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 10:00P-11:14P | 6,174 |
| 17 | 6/15/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 10:00P-11:07P | 6,091 |
| 18 | 6/26/2009 | WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE | DSNY | 09:45P-10:15P | 6,018 |
| 19 | 6/25/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:00P | 5,943 |
| 20 | 6/21/2009 | SPRINT CUP RACING/SONOMA | TNT | 05:00P-08:36P | 5,788 |
| Rank | Date | Program | Net | Time | P2+ AA000 |
| 1 | 6/28/2009 | BET AWARDS SHOW | BET | 08:00P-11:44P | 10,653 |
| 2 | 6/22/2009 | JON & KATE PLUS 8 | TLC | 09:00P-10:00P | 10,605 |
| 3 | 6/26/2009 | PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGR | DSNY | 08:00P-09:45P | 8,533 |
| 4 | 6/8/2009 | CLOSER, THE | TNT | 09:00P-10:00P | 8,448 |
| 5 | 6/4/2009 | BURN NOTICE | USA | 09:00P-10:00P | 7,499 |
| 6 | 6/22/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 10:00P-11:08P | 7,298 |
| 7 | 6/11/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:00P | 6,916 |
| 8 | 6/4/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:17P | 6,856 |
| 9 | 6/1/2009 | JON & KATE PLUS 8 | TLC | 09:30P-10:00P | 6,841 |
| 10 | 6/11/2009 | BURN NOTICE | USA | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,627 |
| 11 | 6/18/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:00P | 6,503 |
| 12 | 6/15/2009 | CLOSER, THE | TNT | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,469 |
| 13 | 6/22/2009 | CLOSER, THE | TNT | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,410 |
| 14 | 6/1/2009 | JON & KATE PLUS 8 | TLC | 09:00P-09:30P | 6,285 |
| 15 | 6/22/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 09:00P-10:00P | 6,263 |
| 16 | 6/8/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 10:00P-11:14P | 6,174 |
| 17 | 6/15/2009 | WWE ENTERTAINMENT | USA | 10:00P-11:07P | 6,091 |
| 18 | 6/26/2009 | WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE | DSNY | 09:45P-10:15P | 6,018 |
| 19 | 6/25/2009 | ROYAL PAINS | USA | 10:00P-11:00P | 5,943 |
| 20 | 6/21/2009 | SPRINT CUP RACING/SONOMA | TNT | 05:00P-08:36P | 5,788 |
I dont think those top 3 shows would increase much with DVR viewing anyways. The BET Awards is an award show, who is going to DVR it even with the Michael Jackson stuff? Jon and Kate Plus 8 was repeats A MILLION TIMES, plus after it aired the divorce was all over the news. Finally, PPP was repeated 3 times, and the DVD came out today.
I’m sure you’re right in the case of The Bet Awards since live events are rarely heavily DVR’d (particularly sports). Jon & Kate doesn’t get the bump shows like Burn Notice get, but despite the multiple weekly airings, it still seems to get ~10% boost with the extra six days based on a cursory look. When it comes to Princess Protection Program if I use other kid’s shows as a barometer it is more like J&K + 8 in that they don’t typically get the big boosts some of the bigger scripted dramas get, but they get more of a boost than the live events.
I enjoy Burn Notice, but I primarily watch it using USA’s free (i.e., w/o additional cost to the viewer) video on demand. I know there is an additional sutdio cost to the cable company for video on demand, but there clearly is no sponsor revenue because all of the short breaks are NBC promos.
people only watched the BET Awardz becuz they were doing a tribute to Michael J. RIP….im glad Royal Pains has some good views 4 a USA Network tv show
Do you guys know if this is the best month ever for basic cable viewership? These numbers are just staggering.