ABC Daytime Loses Three Million Viewers in One Year

By Errol Lewis

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(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — With the Daytime Soap Opera almost extinct due to falling ratings week-after-week, it’s anyone’s guess as to how ABC Daytime, once considered the premiere network for soaps, has lost three million viewers in one year for their dramas with no changes expected in sight.

For the week of February 11, 2008, ABC Daytime’s “General Hospital” held down a 2.3/7 household rating for the third week in a row. The soap averaged 2.9 million viewers, but lost 150,000 total viewers from the week prior (Week of February 4 , 2008). For the comparable week last year (Week of February 12, 2007), “GH” has lost 1.4 million viewers.

CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” continues to be daytime’s number one drama series with a 4.2/14 household rating and 5.8 million viewers, an increase of nearly 300,000 viewers from the week before. “The Bold and the Beautiful” for its part also had an increase of nearly 300,000 viewers to bring its average up to just over 4 million viewers and 2.9/9 household rating. “Guiding Light” was the only other CBS soap to show an increase in the important categories as it averaged a 2.0/6 in households and 2.8 million viewers. The soap beat ABC’s “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” in total viewers. “AMC” averaged a 2.1/7 household rating with 2.7 million viewers, while “OLTL” had a 2.1/7 household rating and 2.6 million viewers.

In Women 18-49, ABC was tied with CBS as Daytime’s #1 network – though CBS had more Women 18-49 viewers (984,000 vs 959,000). “Y&R” held its #1 position in the demo with a 1.9/12.

According to ABC, “All My Children” hit a 29-week high in Women 18-49 (993,000 – since week of 7/23/07), when fan favorites, Angie and Jesse, Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams, reunited after 20 years.

The following is the final ratings report for the Week of February 11, 2008:

HOUSEHOLD RANK/SHARE (change last week/last year)

1. Y&R 4.2/14 (+.2/-.4)

2. B&B 2.9/9 (+.1/-.4)

3. ATWT 2.3/7 (same/-.3)

3. GH 2.3/7 (same/-.9)

5. DAYS 2.2/7 (same/-.3)

6. AMC 2.1/7 (same/-.7)

6. OLTL 2.1/7 (+.1/-.5)

8. GL 2.0/6 (+.1/-.4)

TOTAL VIEWERS (change last week/last year)

1. Y&R 5,842,000 (+291,000/-320,000)

2. B&B 4,006,000 (+268,000/-352,000)

3. ATWT 3,206,000 (+178,000/-161,000)

4. DAYS 2.962,000 (-18,000/-290,000)

5. GH 2,882,000 (-150,000/-1,368,000)

6. GL 2,757,000 (+222,000/-262,000)

7. AMC 2,696,000 (-62,000/-860,000)

8. OLTL 2,618,000 (-10,000/-723,000)

WOMEN 18-49 RATING (change last week/last year)

1. Y&R 1.9/12 (same/-.4)

2. AMC 1.5/9 (+.1/-.2)

2. OLTL 1.5/9 (+.1/-.3)

2. DAYS 1.5/9 (-.2/-.1)

2. GH 1.5/8 (-.1/-1.0)

6. ATWT 1.3/8 (same/same)

6. B&B 1.3/8 (same/-.2)

6. GL 1.3/7 (+.1/+.1)

WOMEN 18-49 VIEWERS (change last week/last year)

1. Y&R 1,256,000 (+14,000/-256,000)

2. AMC 993,000 (+99,000/-131,000)

3. DAYS 984,000 (-131,000/-58,000)

4. OLTL 975,000 (+62,000/-181,000)

5. GH 963,000 (-90,000/-660,000)

6. B&B 884,000 (-4,000/-114,000)

7. ATWT 838,000 (-2,000/-7,000)

8. GL 834,000 (+66,000/+27,000)

WOMEN 18-34 RATING (change last week/last year)

1. DAYS 1.1/7 (-.2/-.4)

1. Y&R 1.1/7 (same/-.6)

3. AMC 1.0/6 (same/-.2)

3. GH 1.0/6 (-.1/-1.0)

5. OLTL 0.9/6 (same/-.4)

6. ATWT 0.7/4 (same/-.2)

6. B&B 0.7/5 (same/-.3)

8. GL 0.6/4 (same/-.2)