SERIES IS THE MOST ENGAGING PROGRAM ON TELEVISION, PER NIELSEN IAG**
AMC’S ’10/’11 SEASON MARKS NETWORK’S
BEST EVER FOR SALES PRIME DELIVERY
ADULTS 18-49 AND ADULTS 25-54***
New York – October 10, 2011 – “Breaking Bad,” which premiered its season four finale last night, ranks as the most engaging series on television according to Nielsen’s IAG, which measures program engagement and ad effectiveness.
AMC premiered the season four finale of “Breaking Bad” to record rating results. Season four reigns as the series’ highest rated season to date, growing 24% over season three for Adults 18-49, the most for any drama series in basic cable history. Last night’s episode scored a 1.4 HH rating attracting 1.9 million viewers. Across the evening, all three airings (10pm, 11pm, midnight) delivered 2.9 million viewers and 1.8 million Adults 18-49. In August, AMC announced the final 16 episodes to conclude “Breaking Bad.”
AMC also experienced its best season ever for the ’10/’11 season in sales prime delivery of Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 increasing +9% and +8% respectively vs. last season.
Ratings Highlights below:
– all three airings (10pm, 11pm, midnight) delivered 2.9 million viewers and 1.8 million Adults 18-49
– season 4 averaged 1.9 million viewers, a 23% increase vs. S3
– “Breaking Bad” season 4 also averaged over 1 million Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, +24%/+21% vs. Season 3
– “Breaking Bad” season 4 garnered its strongest increases among younger viewers, growing its Adult 18-34 audience +42% over last season.
*The Nielsen Company. Live SD Data. ( 01/01/01 to date) M-Su 8p-11p, General Drama, Ad-Supported Cable. Entire Season 4 vs. Season 3 A 18-49 (000) growth. Full Series Original Premiere Episodes Only.
**Nielsen TV Brand Effect (IAG), 3Q11 (7/1/11 – 9/30/11), A18-49, A25-54, premiere episodes. All measured primetime broadcast and cable programs included.
*** The Nielsen Company. Live SD Data. AMC 00/01 – 10/11 Season (9/27/10-9/25/11) Sales Prime (M-Su 6p-1a)
“Bad is so good. Thank you Vince Gilligan; what a season and what a finale. Few entertainment experiences move audiences the way ‘Breaking Bad’ does, consistently. The audience growth from season three to season four is unprecedented for any drama in basic cable history and now it has been named the most engaging program across all of television by Nielsen. We can’t wait to share with fans what’s next in the White house,” said Charlie Collier, AMC’s president.
Over four seasons, “Breaking Bad” has been heralded as one of the best TV dramas on television.
New York Magazine said, “There’s no other show like it.” Newsweek said, “Breaking Bad’ is as addictive as the meth cooked by its cancer-stricken lead character, and just as insidious. It’s also TV’s finest hour.” People said, “The show has evolved into a modern underworld Western – there’s nothing else like it.” Variety said, "Either appropriately or ironically for a show about meth cookers, "Bad" is simply one of TV’s great addictions."
“Breaking Bad” stars Emmy® Award-winner Bryan Cranston as Walter White; Emmy® Award-winner Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman; Anna Gunn as Skyler White; Dean Norris as Hank Schrader; Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader; RJ Mitte as Walter, Jr; Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman; Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring; and Jonathan Banks as Mike. “Breaking Bad” is filmed on location in Albuquerque, NM.
The series first premiered on AMC in January 2008 and follows protagonist Walter White, a milquetoast high school chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife, teenage son who has cerebral palsy and a new baby girl. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to gain financial security for his family, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White’s releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild-mannered family man to a kingpin of the drug trade.
“Breaking Bad” has received sixteen Emmy® Award nominations in the following categories: “Outstanding Drama Series” (2009, 2010); "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" for Bryan Cranston (2008, 2009, 2010); “Outstanding Supporting Actor” for Aaron Paul (2009, 2010); “Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series” for Vince Gilligan (2008) and Michelle MacLaren (2010); “Outstanding Cinematography for a one-hour series” for John Toll (2008) and Michael Slovis (2009, 2010); “Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series;” "Outstanding Single Picture Camera Editing for a Drama Series" for Lynne Willingham (2008, 2009) and Skip McDonald (2010); with six wins overall for Cranston (2008, 2009, 2010); Paul (2010); and Willingham (2008, 2009).
“Breaking Bad” is produced by High Bridge Productions, Inc. and Gran Via Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television for AMC. Executive Producers are Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, and Michelle MacLaren; Co-Executive Producers Melissa Bernstein and Sam Catlin; Supervising Producers Peter Gould, George Mastras, and Tom Schnauz; Producers Moira Walley-Beckett, Bryan Cranston, and Diane Mercer; Produced By Stewart A. Lyons; Associate Producer Andrew Ortner, Staff Writer Gennifer Hutchison; and Director of Photography Michael Slovis.
About AMC
AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, as well as the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama for three consecutive years. Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories. AMC’s original stories include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Killing” and “Hell on Wheels.” AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with AMC’s Docu-Stories, a slate of unscripted original series, as well as curated movie franchises like AMC’s Can’t Get Enough and AMC’s Crazy About. Available in more than 97 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Story Matters HereSM.
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry’s leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. Internationally, SPT is a leader in local language productions around the world, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats in approximately 70 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE’s long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with 120 channel feeds, which are available in 159 countries reaching more than 500 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE’s premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row and Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN, new 3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as in all of SPE’s digital businesses in the United States. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.