Post by FreakyFlyBry on Jun 8, 2004 22:14:50 GMT -5
www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=5377075
'Sopranos' Finale Misses High Note
By Andrew Wallenstein
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The season finale of "The Sopranos" got whacked by its network rivals.
The fifth-season closer of HBO's mob drama drew almost 11 million total viewers on Sunday, a sizable tumble from the 12.5 million who tuned in for the fourth-season finale in December 2002. However, Sunday's episode actually commanded a slightly higher rating and share: 21.7/30 over 21.3/29 in 2002.
The year-to-year comparison is complicated by a new rating measurement imposed in January by Nielsen Media Research for HBO that separates viewership figures for the primary feed from its multiplexed spinoffs. HBO is available in more than 33 million homes.
Further complicating comparisons of "Sopranos"' ratings performance is that its biggest competition for the night, ABC's coverage of the NBA finals, had already ended on the West Coast by the time "Sopranos" aired there. The game drew more total and 18-49 viewers than "Sopranos," which managed to beat the rest of the broadcast networks in those demos.
"We were happy with the numbers we got given that we were up against the NBA finals and a strong NBC lineup," said Dave Baldwin, executive vp program planning at HBO.
In total viewers, the fifth-season finale also tailed the premiere episode ratings of the past three seasons. It did top the series finale of "Sex and the City," which grabbed 10.6 million viewers in February.
"Sopranos" didn't do much to help the penultimate episode of 10 p.m. lead-out "Deadwood," which actually finished slightly below its average for the first season. The gritty Western will look for a boost next week following the season premiere of "Six Feet Under" at 9 p.m.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
'Sopranos' Finale Misses High Note
By Andrew Wallenstein
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The season finale of "The Sopranos" got whacked by its network rivals.
The fifth-season closer of HBO's mob drama drew almost 11 million total viewers on Sunday, a sizable tumble from the 12.5 million who tuned in for the fourth-season finale in December 2002. However, Sunday's episode actually commanded a slightly higher rating and share: 21.7/30 over 21.3/29 in 2002.
The year-to-year comparison is complicated by a new rating measurement imposed in January by Nielsen Media Research for HBO that separates viewership figures for the primary feed from its multiplexed spinoffs. HBO is available in more than 33 million homes.
Further complicating comparisons of "Sopranos"' ratings performance is that its biggest competition for the night, ABC's coverage of the NBA finals, had already ended on the West Coast by the time "Sopranos" aired there. The game drew more total and 18-49 viewers than "Sopranos," which managed to beat the rest of the broadcast networks in those demos.
"We were happy with the numbers we got given that we were up against the NBA finals and a strong NBC lineup," said Dave Baldwin, executive vp program planning at HBO.
In total viewers, the fifth-season finale also tailed the premiere episode ratings of the past three seasons. It did top the series finale of "Sex and the City," which grabbed 10.6 million viewers in February.
"Sopranos" didn't do much to help the penultimate episode of 10 p.m. lead-out "Deadwood," which actually finished slightly below its average for the first season. The gritty Western will look for a boost next week following the season premiere of "Six Feet Under" at 9 p.m.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter