Looking at wide-release films in North America (those that play on at least 400 screens at some point), 2013 now totals just under $2.5 billion, down 16% from 2012 and down 9% from the prior four-year average 2009-2012.  Each year-to-date period below is defined as the first Monday after New Year’s Day through the most […]

The NBA playoffs continued on three networks this weekend, and the eight games collectively were very close to the comparable games last year (+1% overall).  The two ABC games were the highest-rated by far: a 5.0 household rating for Miami-Milwaukee and 4.1 rating for New York-Boston (in Nielsen’s 56 metered markets that comprise 70% of […]

Projected weekly network ratings in prime time (based on four days of official nationals and three days of fast nationals).  No network will finish above a 2 rating for the week, even as the May sweep (with plenty of original episodes began).  The problem this past week was there were no live sports or special […]

  May Sweeps continued to excite hardly anyone. ABC:  The network aired its regular line-up for the first time in a month, and it did no good for ONCE UPON A TIME, which slipped 0.1 from last week and fell to a series low 2.0.  REVENGE was up 0.2 from an Easter airing when ratings […]

  OPENINGS:  The biggest story of the weekend took place off American shores, as IRON MAN 3 (Disney) topped all expectations to open with a fantastic $195.3M in 42 territories (China and Russia are the notable ones still to come).  That’s higher than the $185.1M opening for The Avengers (in 39 territories that didn’t include […]

Updated International chart:

Based on Friday’s and Saturday’s grosses, Weekend #17 of 2013 is looking like $81 million for the top 12 films, down 33% from the average the past few years for this weekend and down 16% from the same weekend last year.  Michael Bay’s Pain and Gain opened fairly quietly — not a total disaster but nothing […]

  May brings the end of the line–at least for this season–for just about everything on network television (and even a few shows on cable).  Here’s our weekly guide to what episodes even occasional fans won’t want to miss: SUNDAY APRIL 28 THE GOOD WIFE (CBS) VIKINGS (History Channel) MONDAY APRIL 29 BONES (FOX) THE […]