Fueled by Popular Franchises, WE tv Concludes 2019 as the #1 Cable Network on Thursday and Friday Nights Among African American Women
Hit Series “Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup” Continues to Lock Up Friday Nights with more than 1.2 million viewers for January 10th Episode
NEW YORK, NY — January 15, 2020 — WE tv announced today that it finished 2019 with ratings growth across all key demos, including increases of 7% among total viewers, 5% among women 18-49, 6% among women 25-54, 3% among adults 18-49, and 4% among adults 25-54 in Nielsen live +3 compared to 2018. The network was also a top 10 cable network for year-over-year growth in standard prime. WE tv also concluded 2019 as the No 1 cable network among African American women 25-54 on Thursday and Friday nights. The network has been #1 on Thursday nights since 2012. WE tv’s “Love After Lockup” franchise continues to dominate Friday nights in 2020, with the January 10th episode of “Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup” garnering more than 1.2 million total viewers in Nielsen live +3 ratings.
In 2019, WE tv reigned among African American women and adults 25-54 on both Thursday and Friday nights on the strength of its popular franchises. On Thursday nights, WE tv held the top 4 cable programs with “Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition,” “Braxton Family Values,” “Growing Up Hip Hop,” and “Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta.” On Friday nights, WE tv had the top 2 cable programs with “Love After Lockup” and spinoff “Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup,” and increased ratings among African American women 25-54 by 33% compared to 2018. Among women 25-54, WE tv also held 3 of the top 5 programs on Friday night in 2019 with “Love After Lockup” and “Life After Lockup,” and was one of the only networks to demonstrate growth for the year in its competitive set one. The network was also one of only 13 out of 108 networks that illustrated viewership growth among the key demo of women 25-54 for the year.
WE tv’s word-of-mouth viral hit “Love After Lockup,” which was the fastest-growing new cable reality series in 2018, continued to be the fastest growing reality series on television among women 25-54 for the first half of season two in 2019. “Love After Lockup,” the obsession-inducing docuseries that chronicles couples making the complicated transition to love on the ‘outside’ when one partner is released from prison, successfully debuted spinoff “Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup” in Summer 2019, with both shows averaging more than a million viewers in Nielsen live +3 ratings, half of whom were the core demo of women 25-54.
In addition to linear network growth, WE tv also grew its TV Everywhere viewing by double digits and increased unique viewers by nearly 50% compared to 2018. Additionally, the WE tv mobile app also hit a milestone of more than 2.5 million downloads by the end of the year.
About WE tv
With compelling, can’t miss unscripted shows, WE tv’s programming is fueled by personalities and relationships filled with purpose and passion. WE tv welcomes everyone and creates an inclusive experience across all platforms: on TV, online, on demand, and social media, embracing how today’s digitally savvy, socially engaged audiences connect through content, using it as a catalyst to drive conversation and build community. WE tv is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc., and its sister channels include AMC, BBC America, IFC and SundanceTV.