OPENINGS:  Studios are increasingly starting their global launches of franchise blockbusters overseas, and once again, the weekend’s biggest box office news occurred outside the US.  X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (20th) has opened in 75 overseas territories that cover about 2/3 of the world (but not yet China) and had a $103.3M weekend.  That’s much lower than […]

The ratings below are household ratings from the 56 television markets with local Nielsen meters for Friday January 3, Saturday January 4 and Sunday January 5, 2014. The 56 markets (out of 210 total) cover about 70% of the US television population.   College Football Early Bowls Friday 7.2 rating ESPN 8:30 Orange Bowl #12-Clemson […]

  BROADCAST FINALS:  Christmas Eve was a night of reruns, although in the afternoon FOX had a big 7.23 rating for the NFL.   Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart   CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  NFL Network’s primetime game dominated cable at 3.15.  ESPN’s COLLEGE FOOTBALL bowl game was at 0.25.  Meanwhile, TBS and TNT loaded up […]

Weekend #3 of 2014 is looking like $130 million for the top 12 films for the traditional Friday-Sunday portion of the long MLK weekend, up 14% from the average for this weekend the past few years. Opening at around 2,200 theaters Friday (below the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Ride […]

  BROADCAST FINALS ABC:  The NFL PLAYOFFS game was simulcast with ESPN, and the broadcast portion was at 3.81. CBS:  The sitcoms aired for the first time since December 5, with THE NEIGHBORHOOD down 0.12 to 0.40, and BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA down 0.09 to 0.34.  NCIS fell 0.23 from last week’s crossover to 0.33, and […]

> Whatever one’s reservations about the entertainment value of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD, there’s no question that it’s a blockbuster.  Even airing against the highest-rated Grammy Awards in more than 20 years, Walking Dead broke its own record for cable drama.  In its initial 9PM airing, the show had 5.4 million 18-49 viewers, 12% higher […]

  NBC has pulled the plug on SEAN SAVES THE WORLD, its misbegotten Sean Hayes vehicle.  The series has aired 12 of its 14 completed episodes (a total of 18 had been ordered), and it’s not yet clear what will be replacing it on Thursdays–the network will use its upcoming Olympics break (an SNL special […]

  OPENINGS:  KNOCK AT THE CABIN (Universal) won the eternal footnote that it was the film to finally dethrone Avatar 2 at the top of the box office, but its $14.2 start was at the low end of expectations, below the $16.8M for 2021’s Old and thus M. Night Shyamalan’s lowest opening since his pre-Sixth Sense […]