MTV’s Jersey Shore juggernaut keeps destroying everything in its path, as the Seaside Heights gang last week put up the biggest deliveries on basic cable.
Per Nielsen live-plus-same-day ratings data, the Feb. 3 installment of MTV’s indefatigable hit served up a whopping 8.26 million total viewers in its 10 p.m. time slot, down only slightly from the previous episode’s record delivery of 8.83 million.
As one might expect, Jersey Shore also beat all comers among the 18-34 demo, drawing 4.89 million, while winning handily with the 18-49 set (5.93 million). The show’s reach is so broad that it even finished fourth on the week among the older demo, delivering 3.17 million adults 25-54.
As the ratings do not reflect time-shifted viewing, advertisers are not getting the full picture. Given that the show gets as much as a 40 percent lift courtesy of the DVR, it’s safe to assume that new episodes are being devoured by as many as 12 million total viewers.
When its 16 repeat performances are added up, Jersey Shore in the week ended Feb. 6 drew a cumulative 26.9 million viewers. Even the least viewed screening, a repeat that aired at 2 a.m. Thursday morning, still managed to draw 663,000 viewers.
Teen Mom also continues to deliver, as the Feb. 1 episode drew 3.8 million total viewers in the Tuesday 10 p.m. time slot. Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of those viewers were members of the 18-49 demo while 60 percent fell into the 18-34 range.
On the week, MTV finished first among viewers 18-34 in prime, with an average nightly draw of 705,000. It also took third place with viewers 18-49, averaging 861,000.
USA Network won the week outright, serving up 3.18 million total viewers, of which 1.28 million were adults 25-54. The network also won out among the 18-49 demo, with an average draw of 1.16 million.
With an average 5.28 million fans tuning in Monday night between 9 p.m. and 11:06 p.m., USA’s Monday night wrestling showcase once again scared up the network’s largest crowd. WWE Raw also reached 2.49 million viewers 18-49 and 2.44 million adults 25-54.
Off-net acquisition NCIS accounted for eight of USA’s 10 biggest deliveries last week. For example, on Saturday night at 10 p.m., the Mark Harmon vehicle averaged 4.45 million viewers, or about 577,000 more than the original scripted series Royal Pains churned up Thursday at 9 p.m. Up against Jersey Shore, USA’s freshman dramedy Fairly Legal retained 95 percent of its Pains lead-in, drawing 3.67 million viewers.
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