• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

"Star Wars," "Battlestar" lead cable ratings

Tue Apr 8, 2008 10:48pm EDT

By Kimberly Nordyke

Media

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It was quite a weekend for sci-fi fans as Spike TV aired three movies in the "Star Wars" saga, and "Battlestar Galactica" returned with a new episode on Sci Fi Channel.

"Galactica," which had its fourth and final season premiere at 10 p.m. Friday, drew 2.1 million viewers, a 19% increase over the series' so-called "Season 3.5" premiere in January 2007, according to Nielsen Media Research.

It also was up in the key demo of adults 18-49 (up 11% to 1.4 million, its best showing since January 2006).

Meanwhile, Spike TV aired the first three "episodes" of the "Star Wars" saga during the weekend. Tops among the trio was "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," which averaged 4.2 million viewers from 8-11 p.m. Sunday. That made it the highest-rated movie in the network's history and the highest-rated movie of the year among ad-supported cable networks in adults 18-49 (2.4 million viewers).

Meanwhile, "Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace" drew 2.8 million viewers from 8-11 p.m. Friday, and "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" averaged 3.3 million from 8-11 p.m. Saturday.

Spike also touted the fact that the three "Star Wars" movies averaged 3.5 million viewers overall, beating head-to-head competition with TNT's airings of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which averaged 2.7 million viewers.

The remaining three "Star Wars" movies air on Spike this weekend.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Media


More from Reuters

Photo

U.N. averts climate collapse by "noting" new deal

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - U.N. climate talks avoided a total collapse on Saturday by skirting bitter opposition from several nations to a deal championed by the U.S. President Barack Obama and five emerging economies including China. | Video

» More Top News
A woman shops at a Sam's Club store, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, in Bentonville, Arkansas June 4, 2009. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

The food-stamp economy

On the last day of every month, shoppers at Walmart load their carts with food and household items and wait for the midnight hour. Is this the new normal in America?  Full Article 

U.S.
Two men shake hands in a file photo. REUTERS/File

Let's make a deal

The battered M&A sector will make a tepid recovery in the coming year and three hot sectors will lead the way, according to a Thomson Reuters analysis.  Full Article 

Global Deals Review