USA's Royal Pains Shows Demo Gains
By Anthony Crupi
USA Network's Royal Pains showed an uncanny consistency in its second week, drawing 5.59 million viewers Thursday night, nearly the exact same delivery it notched in its June 4 premiere (5.57 million).
The show also made slight gains among the core demos, averaging 2.6 million adults 25-54 (up 3 percent versus the opener), and 2.35 million viewers 18-49 (up 2 percent). Royal Pains did lose a portion of its younger audience, averaging 958,000 viewers 18-34, down 12 percent from its week-ago delivery of 1.08 million.
USA beat out two broadcasters in the 10 p.m. hour, topping corporate sibling NBC and its new series The Listener in total viewers and across all three demos, per Nielsen fast nationals data. Royal Pains also outpaced CBS' The Mentalist on among the 18-34 and 18-49 demos.
Leading in at 9 p.m., USA's Burn Notice declined 13 percent versus its season-three premiere, averaging 5.24 million viewers, and while the fall-off was noticeable, it also was less pronounced than the 15-20 percent drop most series experience in week two.
Burn Notice drew 2.43 million adults 25-54 and 2.17 million 18-49s, both of which accounted for a 14 percent decline versus last week's demo deliveries. While viewers 18-34 are not a target demo, Burn Notice took its most significant hit among that younger segment, averaging 878,000, down 27 percent versus its season opener (1.2 million).
Anthony Crupi