Adult Swim #1 with Teens (take that MTV!)

[Andrew T. Hingson]

From the New York Post

April 27, 2005 -- WATCH out MTV, teens want their Adult Swim. Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block — a collection of cartoon shows for grownups that airs after 11 p.m. — is drawing more teen viewers than MTV, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Adult Swim — which features some of cable's hottest shows, including reruns of "Family Guy" and the original "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" — draws nearly twice as many teens as MTV.

It is a startling statistic that perhaps says more about how late kids stay up these days — but Cartoon Network is trumpeting its new-found success at full volume.

"MTV, I think, is overmarketed to what seems to be an anti-marketing generation," says Keith Crawford, of Adult Swim. "We're totally different from what they're offering."

The competition between the two networks is fierce, but MTV is not really shaking in its boots. MTV is on 24 hours a day, while Adult Swim is only on seven hours.

"It's apples to oranges," says Betsy Frank, of Viacom's Cable Networks.



"It's surprising that in that seven hours a night, they deliver a lot of teens," Frank says. But overall, MTV remains a much bigger network.

Earlier this month, Nielsen began rating Adult Swim separately from its parent network — much like Nick at Nite is rated separately from Nickelodeon, even though both are on the same channel. It is part of the trend among cable stations to appeal to ever more specialized audiences.
I like how the MTV reps basically are saying... "Oh... but we're still bigger than Adult Swim". Which would be because they have not only one full channel but multiple channels including spin-off networks.

It's starting to look quite profitable for Adult Swim to build a spin-off network.

[Rabi~en~Rose]

hopefully they wont become to over-marketed themselves and this is some very good news for AS :) it might even be a kind of victory or milestone. MTV guys response was pretty lame because if AS can get teens real late at night imagine how many they could get if AS was all day

[Beat]

And end up like Boomerang? I'd rather wait on it.

[vegetable]

As summer approaches, teen viewership for Adult Swim steadily increases. I guarantee when school's back in session, they'll begin to peter out again.

Adult Swim enjoys their teen viewership, but I think it's only so that they can keep watching so that they'll eventually grow older and reach the 18-34 zone (which im sure many people on this board have done). The 18-24 half of the 18-34 demo is pulling in a lot more weight for Adult Swim than 25-34 is. Which might be a factor towards Adult Swim looking at 18-49 ratings now.

But I do agree with the over-marketed comment. Most channels I can't watch because there's so many commercials, so many breaks, popup ads in the show....don't channels like MTV and Spike and Scifi and the rest realize that **** like that makes me want to change the channel?!

[Freedom Fighter]

I doubt AS will go to a full network any time soon. During this week's feature on G4's "Attack of the Show," they said they'd prefer their current small office where everyone knows everybody as opposed to having a large office with thousands of people in which you only know a handful of them personally. That's why the Adult Swim department has their own building, separate from the rest of the network.

Besides, why would MTV worry? Its major shows come on during the 10 spot, the hour before Adult Swim starts anyway, so it's not like MTV's best competition is up against Adult Swim's every night.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I don't think AS controlling a whole channel would mean WS would have to grow and become less familiar with eachother. WS would still be WS. Turner would probably have a hand in this if it happened. They'd most likely work out the schedule but WS would get to put in as much input as possible and basically make the programing decisions still. Of course no one wants to see WS change. We like those sarcastic jerk-offs just the way they are.

Perhaps it shouldn't be "Adult Swim" but that market for teens that people doesn't exist. Obviously does. And furthermore the 18-34 ratings have been fantastic as well. Adult Swim is currently #1 with 12-17, 12-24, 18-36 and at least one more demo.

The Adult Swim official boards FAQ says AS could become a channel when it's finacibly feasable. Well... now it is or it will be very soon.

[vegetable]

Perhaps it shouldn't be "Adult Swim" but that market for teens that people doesn't exist. Obviously does. And furthermore the 18-34 ratings have been fantastic as well. Adult Swim is currently #1 with 12-17, 12-24, 18-36 and at least one more demo.

No, you covered them all (except 18-24, but that's obvious). They're #3 with 18-49 though.


The Adult Swim official boards FAQ says AS could become a channel when it's finacibly feasable. Well... now it is or it will be very soon.

It's also not very easy to convince cable providers nowadays to pick up more channels, since they're maxing out their bandwidth. Boomerang is 5 years old, and you'll still find a bunch of people saying they don't receive it.

[Riza Hawkeye]

Well this is great news for AS and personally I would love to see AS as it's own channel. What kind of schedule do you think we'd see if it were to happen....Hyper? ;)

[NickMB]

I don't think adult swim should be its own network, but I do think that it, Toonami, and Boomerang should merge.

That way, you'd have Boomerang from 2 a.m. - 9 a.m. Toonami from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and adult swim from 6 p.m. - 2 a.m.

It would be easier to market to providers that have yet to carry Boomerang, and it wouldn't be a problem at all for networks that already do. They might even move it from a premium package channel to basic package because its target audience would increase.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Boomerang is a tough sell period. Americans don't seem to have time for classic cartoons in the day. A pitty...

Toonami combined with Boomerang and AS? That'd be get messy unless they split it to two networks (1 of action/drama and 1 for comedy).

Adult Swim as a network would be a much easier sell to cable providers than Boomerang has been. You add Toonami to that and you'd have an even more worthy channel concept. (at least in some opinions).

Gee Riza, I'd love to bang out a schedule but you know I can't do that on THIS board.

But in general...

Mornings would have some neglected and classic shows, afternoons would have a typical AS comedy spot (just more reruns), afternoons could have Toonami with a lead out of Inuyasha, FMA, Case Closed and Lupin, then AS comedy in prime time and AS action in late night with more reruns or more classics to fill out the remaining hours of the night.

If Toonami isn't part of the scenario then they could easily enough strike deals with FUNimation and Bandai (the two companies we all know sleep with CN) for some exclusive content. Maybe some programing we wouldn't see easily otherwise... like Fruits Basket and Gunslinger Girl (hey I can dream can't I?). They could probably get Flame of Recca from Viz as well. Maybe even dare I say it... Ranma 1/2 (now that's just crazy talk).

It's hard to find good American shows for this though as Comedy Central pretty much has whatever CN doesn't.

Movies are a possiblity as well. But once again, it's hard to find American movies unless we delve into live action.

[Tienshin]

"It's surprising that in that seven hours a night, they deliver a lot of teens," Frank says. But overall, MTV remains a much bigger network.

At first when I read this I attributed the second part of the quote to the Frank fellow and thought his comments, if translated into real speak, would look like this:


"Yeah they are really pounding us in that particular demographic, but at the end of the day we have a much larger penis. And quite frankly isn’t that all that really matters?"

But it looks like the author of the article is pointing out that MTV is a bigger network, thereby making this entire post utterly pointless.

[Duke]

But I do agree with the over-marketed comment. Most channels I can't watch because there's so many commercials, so many breaks, popup ads in the show....don't channels like MTV and Spike and Scifi and the rest realize that **** like that makes me want to change the channel?!I don't notice that many pop-up ads on Sci-Fi. Then again, all I watch are the Stargate stuff and BSG. Even then, the worse I see is a little text banner. Oh, there was that one pop-up ad for this one Sci-Fi movie about 5 or 6 months ago, but I forget what it was for...

[Donald Duck 12]

So the "Adult" in Adult Swim is just for decor?

[Spongebrain2.0]

Doesn't surprise. 'Family Guy' is easily the most popular show in my entire school

[RD!]

So the "Adult" in Adult Swim is just for decor?Welcome to... uh... whenever the 14++ warning started... but for wit lets say welcome to FOREVER.

[Pepperidge]

OMG, kid's can't watch Adult Swim! This is unacceptable! </most of you guys two years ago>

[Beat]

Adult Swim TVMA- Coming when hell freezes over thanks to this.

You can bet your behind that this new report will attract all the loonatic parental groups to Adult Swim.

[William C. Maune]

So the "Adult" in Adult Swim is just for decor?

Nope. It may be #1 with teens, but it is also #1 with multiple adult demographics as well.

[j32885]

That's no surprise to me. Adult Swim ratings have been increasing each since the block was started back in 2001. It's seems lately with MTV, it has been nothing but Reality TV, which is why I'm sure people are getting sick of watching. Interesting to see the MTV crowd switch over to Adult Swim when it comes on everynight.

[The Landstander]

So the "Adult" in Adult Swim is just for decor?Big with teens doesn't mean not big with adults.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Indeed, it's huge with adults on top of being big with teens. It has been at the top of both since the week of the split BTW. That's so far before summer that I don't think it's just teens watching because it's close to summer.

[James Bester]

That's so far before summer that I don't think it's just teens watching because it's close to summer. I have to get up every morning for school at 6AM, so I haven't been able to watch lately, since I go to bed at 11PM(I'm 15 by the way). I'll probably watch the entire first half of the block in Summer though.

Yeah, Adult Swim is gonna get a huge increase teens-wise. Too bad it was high ratings from tweens and teens that got Case Closed cancelled.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

It's not that the tweens and teens ratings were so high but it's that the adult ratings weren't high enough.

[Carolina Red]

The programming choices on satellite and cable at 11pm eastern and on are rather sparse, you've got to at least factor that in.

I guess west coast sporting events will be just as likely to attract an audience. Some people may not like the sport or the teams involved (ie Diamondbacks-Dodgers baseball or Nuggets-Trailblazers basketball), but for others it's their cup of tea. And that's what AS is like also, if they like animation and the shows involved are interesting then they'll watch.

[beren]

Honestly, I think Adult Swim is going to die in the future, and it will be a very, very rapid death. As soon as another party enters the fray and there is some competition it is over for Adult Swim. For instance, if viacom started an adult themed animation network, combined with uncensored shows, I would leave WS and AS behind in a heartbeat. Keep in mind Adult Swim owns very, very, very few shows, all it would take is for a bigger more powerfull player to come along, start thier own network, and steal the audience. For instance if spike tv starting airing new anime, starting airing the animated stuff from comedy central, bought the rights for a few shows from AS that are going to expire, and they did this in a block, it would kill adult swim. Imagine if the rights to futurama and family guy were lost, all AS would have left really is limited runs of Anime for a few months, ATHF, Sealab, Harvey Birdman, Space Ghost, and the second season of Big O.


Cartoon Network is a network aimed at children, the censorship and editing is done because of that, turner is a "family friendly" organization cenorship and editing is done because of that. A new network, a competing network, could be truly aimed at adults, that is why I support the death of Adult Swim, and the creation of a new network entirely.


There is nothing wrong with some competition, although I don't think AS could take it.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Honestly, I think Adult Swim is going to die in the future, and it will be a very, very rapid death. As soon as another party enters the fray and there is some competition it is over for Adult Swim. For instance, if viacom started an adult themed animation network, combined with uncensored shows, I would leave WS and AS behind in a heartbeat. Keep in mind Adult Swim owns very, very, very few shows, all it would take is for a bigger more powerfull player to come along, start thier own network, and steal the audience. For instance if spike tv starting airing new anime, starting airing the animated stuff from comedy central, bought the rights for a few shows from AS that are going to expire, and they did this in a block, it would kill adult swim. Imagine if the rights to futurama and family guy were lost, all AS would have left really is limited runs of Anime for a few months, ATHF, Sealab, Harvey Birdman, Space Ghost, and the second season of Big O.


Cartoon Network is a network aimed at children, the censorship and editing is done because of that, turner is a "family friendly" organization cenorship and editing is done because of that. A new network, a competing network, could be truly aimed at adults, that is why I support the death of Adult Swim, and the creation of a new network entirely.


There is nothing wrong with some competition, although I don't think AS could take it.You got to be kidding me? Adult Swim go under? Not any time soon and not quickly. Family Guy and Futurama will not leave Adult Swim nor Inuyasha. The only things that leave are the ones that "no one" cares about. Those being animes that wouldn't fair better elsewhere and Viacom wouldn't dare touch. Same goes for the left over comedies from the WB. Viacom doesn't want CN's leftovers. They could pick up their own anime but with so many anime blocks in the game... Could they really get something good. I can confidently say that most of the truely good animes have aired on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. All the other channels may have better editing and some good shows but all and all Adult Swim and CN in general has aired the best anime on television IMO (with some exceptions and yes CN has aired some crap too but they make up for it usually).

Viacom's Spike TV is a joke... Name ONE good original show they've aired. Those reruns are decent enough but there's not much of a draw for the channel. Wrestling is where it gets most of it ratings and maybe some Baywatch and Star Trek TNG. Adult Swim has already crushed this pittiful channel in ratings on all the key demos and then some.

Comedy Central still has game. They could pull something together. But AS is the champ and probably will be for a while. It may not always be the champ but it wont go away either.

The Anime Network could make a difference but ya know... Nobody's got that and Comcast sure isn't picking it up. And Animax US... Seems like a phantom.

[Freedom Fighter]

Even if Adult Swim was to get a direct competitor, there's no way said competitor would completely knock AS out of the picture instantly. Consider the fact that it took AS 3 1/2 years to get to where it is today! To be able to have itself rated as a separate entity from the network it runs on! That's an accomplishment far beyond what many people probably ever predicted for the block. AS did not, repeat, did not, become an instant success overnight!

Let me humor your theory, beren, and say that for some reason AS decides to not renew the rights to either Futurama and Family Guy. We all know it'll happen eventually... but given their popularity, it won't be anytime soon... but let's just say they let one show expire for the sake of this argument. Now we already know CN/AS paid a lot to get the rights to both shows. Plus you consider the fact of the age of these two shows.

Let me also add this... Futurama and Family Guy, by name-sake alone, bring people to AS. But unless AS has the originals to keep people around, how many people do you think would watch anything on the block on than those two shows? A whole, whole lot less than the number that watch the block now.

If another channel were to obtain the rights to either Futurama and Family Guy and expect to place it in a block of original adult animation shows all created by that said network... it's the originals, NOT Futurama and Family Guy, that'll determine whether the block floats or sinks.

Animation is a heftier burden than you tend to believe.

Oh, and just because a network comes up with an adult cartoon that has tons of blood, profanity, and nudity, doesn't instantly make it better than an adult cartoon that has only one or two (or verry small doses of all three).

[Jp7010]

Comedy Central and Spike TV already tried their own "adult animated blocks", adn they both failed. Pretty badly at that.

When adult swim was first starting up, Comedy Central had a block of adult-oriented animation on late Sunday nights[~11]. Consisting of repeats of Duckman, The Critic, Undergrads, The Tick, Dilbert, oh, and South Park. It wasn't long before they stopped this idea. These re-runs were pushed out the door for the premieres of Insomniac and Chris Wylde.

And since adult swim started, Spike TV tried their animation block. Ren & Stimpy's Adult Party Cartoon, Gary the Rat, and Striperella. Rounded off with reruns of classic Ren & Stimpy. That didn't last for long either...

Now, neither of these attempts were big attempts, but... AS kicked CC out of the game before they even got Futurama and Family Guy. I don't remember the circumstances surrounding Spike TV's block, but I remember Gary the Rat sucked hard, and the only saving grace of Striperella[other than the stripping] were the one-liners made by the boss character.

[kakiea]

Of course! Almost every person in my high school say that they have watched or are going to watch adult swim. Family Guy, Robot Chicken, Futurama, and Inu- Yasha(not counting Witch Hunter Robin and Reunhu Kinshun)(spelled extremly wrong!)are the most watched shows at my school and in 14 year old generation. Especially FG. :anime: :D :) ;) :moon: I think that Mtv is over rated at this moment in time, but that's just my opinion.

[kakiea]

You got to be kidding me? Adult Swim go under? Not any time soon and not quickly. Family Guy and Futurama will not leave Adult Swim nor Inuyasha. The only things that leave are the ones that "no one" cares about. Those being animes that wouldn't fair better elsewhere and Viacom wouldn't dare touch. Same goes for the left over comedies from the WB. Viacom doesn't want CN's leftovers. They could pick up their own anime but with so many anime blocks in the game... Could they really get something good. I can confidently say that most of the truely good animes have aired on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. All the other channels may have better editing and some good shows but all and all Adult Swim and CN in general has aired the best anime on television IMO (with some exceptions and yes CN has aired some crap too but they make up for it usually).

Viacom's Spike TV is a joke... Name ONE good original show they've aired. Those reruns are decent enough but there's not much of a draw for the channel. Wrestling is where it gets most of it ratings and maybe some Baywatch and Star Trek TNG. Adult Swim has already crushed this pittiful channel in ratings on all the key demos and then some.

Comedy Central still has game. They could pull something together. But AS is the champ and probably will be for a while. It may not always be the champ but it wont go away either.

The Anime Network could make a difference but ya know... Nobody's got that and Comcast sure isn't picking it up. And Animax US... Seems like a phantom.
Adult SWim ending you have got to be kidding!

[Spongebrain2.0]

Now, neither of these attempts were big attempts, but... AS kicked CC out of the game before they even got Futurama and Family Guy. I don't remember the circumstances surrounding Spike TV's block, but I remember Gary the Rat sucked hard, and the only saving grace of Striperella[other than the stripping] were the one-liners made by the boss character.

Wrong, SpikeTV's animation block had a HUGE marketing push, I remember seeing full page ads for it in EW. They had hugely annoying pop-up ads during their shows. Spike's block premiered to kickass ratings at first, but then they started rerunning episodes of shows that only had 3 episodes finished, people stopped watching, it was gone by the fall....Not that anyone really cared though:p

[Master Moron]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned TBS's animation block that airs late night Fridays. It doesn't compete with Adult Swim. But, it DOES air Family Guy, Futurama, Oblongs, and Baby Blues. Does anyone have any idea how it's doing in the ratings? I have to assume it's somewhat decent, considering it's still on.