Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff Post Strong Ratings Gains & Best Years Ever in 2017

The numbers are in and there is no denying. Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff each racked up significant viewership increases across all dayparts and enjoyed their most-watched calendar years ever in 2017.

Bounce

• Bounce delivered its highest-rated and fourth consecutive year of growth in both Primetime and Total Day in 2017. Prime delivery increases over 2016 included +10% in Households, +6% in Persons 25-54, +9% in P18+ and +3% in P2+. Bounce was up +14% in HHs, +2% in P18-49, +7% in P25-54, +12 % in P18+ and +7 in P2+ in Total Day.
• Original series were among Bounce’s most-watched programming last year led by the popular drama Saints & Sinners (Reaching 7.3 million viewers 2+) which returns for season three this April and the original sitcoms Family Time (5.4 million), Grown Folks (nearly 5 million) and In The Cut (4.7 million).
• Bounce finished the year as the fastest-growing African-American network on television, outpacing BET, TV1 and OWN in growth among Households, P2+ and P18+ in Primetime and in HHs, P25-54, P2+ and P18+ in Total Day.

Grit

• Grit increased both Prime and Total Day viewership for the second consecutive year in 2017. Grit posted primetime gains over 2016 of +9% in HHs, +5% in P18+ and +3% in both P2+ and Men 2+. The gains were even stronger in Total Day as Grit garnered double-digit increases in HHs (+22%), P18+ (+17%), P2+ (+14%) & M2+ (+15%).
• Grit saw movie airings begin to reach over half a million Persons 2+ (The Sons of Katie Elder) and weekend programming festivals reach nearly three million unique viewers P2+ (Lethal Weapon and sequels marathon.)

Escape

• Escape also posted Prime and Total Day viewership increases for the second consecutive year since becoming rated. Escape delivered double-digit gains in prime of +13% in HHs, +12% in Women 2+ and +10% in P2+. Escape also delivered double-digit gains in HHs (+15%), W2+ (+16%) and P2+ (+13%) in Total Day.
• Escape had over half a dozen true crime show marathons reach two million viewers 2+ including those featuring American Greed, Forensic Files and It Takes a Killer.

Laff

• Laff racked up strong double-digit Primetime increases in HHs (+60%), P18-49 (+85%), P25-54 (+79%), P18+ (+56%), P2+ (+58%), Women 2+ (+71%) and W18+ (+70%) vs. 2016. Laff’s Total Day increases over 2016 were equally impressive, including +64% in HHs, +87% in P18-49, +83% in P25-54, +63% in P18+ and +64% in P2+.
• The fourth quarter of 2017 was Laff’s ninth consecutive quarter of Primetime growth in Households and the network’s highest-rated quarter to-date in HHs, P18-49, P25-54, P18+ and P2+.

About Katz Networks

The Katz networks are targeted, demo-specific brands leading a new generation of fast-growing broadcast networks created to serve cord-cutters, cord-nevers and subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) subscribers. Bounce, seen in 86 percent of U.S. households and 95 percent of all target-market, African-American television homes, is the first and only African-American broadcast network and features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Escape, currently in 89 percent of the U.S., reaches women 25-54 with a brand of programming anchored in stories of investigation and mystery. Grit, available in 87 percent of U.S. households, targets men 25-54 with a lineup of western and action movies and series. Laff, covering 90 percent of the U.S., is the nation’s first over-the-air network devoted to comedy around-the-clock, and presents contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular movies geared toward an audience of adults 18-49. The Katz networks are part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP).

Source: Nielsen, L+SD, CY17 (12/26/16-12/31/17) VS. CY16 (12/28/15-12/25/16), Total Day (Mon-Su 6a-6a), Prime (Mon-Su 7p-11p