FOOD NETWORK WHIPS UP A RECORD YEAR IN 2009
Highest-Rated, Most-Watched Year in History
The Next Food Network Star, The Next Iron Chef Top Performers
NEW YORK � December 16, 2009 � 2009 was the best year ever for Food Network with record ratings, impressions and hit shows. The network posted its highest-rated primetime numbers in its history with a .5 among adults 25-54 and a 19 percent gain over year-ago levels. Food Network significantly grew its upscale audience as well with .5 among persons 25-54 in $100k plus households, a 29 percent lift over year-ago. The network also saw increases in its cume by drawing an average of 44 million persons 2+ and 23 million persons 25-54 each month in primetime, with increases of 10 percent and 11 percent, respectively, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The network's big launches drove the stellar year, with The Next Food Network Star watched by a cumulative total of 16 million adults 25-54 and 32 million total viewers 2+. The series ended with a 2.1 household rating and 1.4 adults 25-54 rating for its premiere plays on Sundays at 9pm, up 14 percent in households and eight percent in adults 25-54, making it the highest-rated series in Food Network history. The Next Iron Chef series garnered 15 million adults 25-54 and 29 million total viewers 2+ during its second season. The series posted a 1.1 rating among adults 25-54, up 60 percent versus year-ago levels. The network also successfully launched new weekly hits including Chopped and Best Thing I Ever Ate, both of which posted a .6 adults 25-54 rating with year-ago gains of 74 percent and 64 percent, respectively.
Food Network's daytime weekend �In the Kitchen� block saw strong increases this year, especially in fourth quarter 2009 with a .5 among target women 25-54 and an increase of 21 percent over fourth quarter 2008. Several newcomers contributed to the success in the daypart: $10 Dinners (hosted by Melissa d'Arabian) posted a .8 women 25-54 rating and a 57 percent gain over year-ago; 5 Ingredient Fix (Claire Robinson) garnered a .6 women 25-54 rating and a 35 percent lift over year-ago; and Sandra's Money Saving Meals (Sandra Lee), attracted a .7 women 25-54 and a 22 percent increase over year-ago.
FoodNetwork.com continues to post records online, totaling 12.8 million unique visitors in November 2009 along with 271 million page views, both all-time highs for the website and placing it in the #1 spot in the Food & Cooking category, according to Nielson Net View.
Finally, the latest extension of the Food Network brand also performed extremely well: Food Network Magazine, which was named 2009 Launch of the Year by Advertising Age. In its first year, Food Network Magazine doubled its rate base and passed the 1 million circulation mark in with the October 2009 issue � nearly a year ahead of schedule.
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FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network and Web site that strives to be way more than cooking. The network is committed to exploring new and different ways to approach food - through pop culture, competition, adventure, and travel - while also expanding its repertoire of technique-based information. Food Network is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and averages more than 9 million unique Web site users monthly. Food Network programming is available internationally in more than 150 countries. Food Network is headquartered in New York, and maintains offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Knoxville, Tenn. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com) and Fine Living Network (www.fineliving.com), is the manager and general partner.
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