After the “First Four” play-in games, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament really gets going on Thursday with the traditional 64-team format. The chart below illustrates the build in TV audiences as March Madness 2014 rolled out.  Each bar represents one of 67 telecasts in the playoff format, from the “First Four” games on Tuesday and […]

> The Hollywood Reporter has some quick overseas numbers, and THE SMURFS continues to feed the seemingly endless international appetite for 3D family movies.  Smurfs has reached an unbelievable $364M overseas, for a worldwide total of half a billion dollars. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES also has a very handsome $250M internationally, but […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL adjusted to 4.6, down a full point from last week’s game.  In addition, KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS gained 0.1 in final numbers, and SHARK TANK lost the same.           Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  It was finale […]

  NETWORK UPDATE:  THE BACHELORETTE finale gained 0.1 in final numbers, but the AFTER THE ROSE post-show lost the same amount.  RUNNING WILD also declined by 0.1, as did PENN & TELLER: FOOL US and CEDRIC’S BARBER BATTLE. CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  VH1’s LOVE & HIP HOP ATLANTA was very steady in its place at the top of […]

  OPENINGS:  THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS (DreamWorks/Reliance/Participant/Disney) brings to an ignominious end the distribution relationship between DreamWorks and Disney.  Their final shared title disappointed on every level, with a $5M 3-day weekend that might become $6M on Monday, and no chance of recouping its costs.  Even though the weak reviews, length and period setting worked […]

            NETWORK FINALS:  ABC’s NBA game gained 0.1 in final numbers.         Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart       CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  Sports ruled Saturday cable, as ESPN’s COLLEGE BASKETBALL game (North Carolina vs. Duke) took the night with 1.01 (the late Louisville vs. Virginia game […]

    NETWORK UPDATE:  Both THE X-FILES and LUCIFER gained 0.1 in final numbers, although they’re still way off from last week’s ratings.  THE BACHELOR also received an 0.1 bump.  The NCIS: LA rerun lost 0.1.  Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  VH1 had the Monday cable lead, with 1.42 (down […]

And now the waiting game begins for Team Metcalf.  With all but one movie now open, the Metcalf slate now totals almost $1.1 billion to date, with a little but of upside remaining in Madagascar 3 and to some extent Prometheus. Team Salem’s top two films open very soon:  Brave from Pixar this Friday and Amazing Spider-Man […]