TNT's "Falling Skies" Season 3 Premiere Grows to 6.2 Million Viewers in Live + 7, Beating the Epic Series' Season 2 Launch

TNT's season three premiere of Falling Skies has out-delivered the epic drama's second-season launch, according to final Live + 7 data. The two-hour season opener, which premiered June 9, scored 6.2 million viewers in Live + 7, beating last year's season opener by +3%. Growth among young adults was particularly strong, with this summer's launch garnering 2.9 million adults 18-49, a +9% boost over last year's premiere, and 1.2 million adults 18-34, a remarkable gain of +24%. Falling Skies also averaged 3.2 million adults 25-54, a gain of +2% over last season's premiere.

New episodes of Falling Skies air Sundays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on TNT.

About TNT's Falling Skies

Falling Skies, TNT's epic series from DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg, tells the extraordinary tale of life and survival in the wake of a catastrophic alien invasion. Noah Wyle stars as a college professor who becomes an unlikely resistance leader. Falling Skies also stars Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Maxim Knight, Seychelle Gabriel, Mpho Koaho, Colin Cunningham and Sarah Carter. Among the guest stars this season are Gloria Reuben, Robert Sean Leonard, Stephen Collins and Doug Jones.

Falling Skies premiered in summer 2011 and ranked as basic cable's #1 new series of the year. The series returned with strong numbers last year, scoring 5.6 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery and ranking as basic cable's #1 drama of the summer with adults 25-54.

In addition to Spielberg, Falling Skies is executive-produced by DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, along with Remi Aubuchon and Greg Beeman.

TNT

The June 9 season premiere of TNT's epic drama series Falling Skies has grown to 6.2 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, outperforming last summer's season premiere across the board, especially among young adults. See the attached release or go to the TNT Newsroom (http://tntnewsroom.com/falling-skies-s3-premiere-ratings-L7/) for details.

For the week, TNT's Major Crimes and Falling Skies ranked as two of basic cable's Top 3 scripted programs for the week among total viewers. Falling Skies topped the charts as the #1 scripted program on basic cable among adults 25-54 and ranked among the Top 3 scripted programs with adults 18-49. And the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race from Sonoma ranked as the top sports program with total viewers. These successes helped TNT win the week as basic cable's #1 network in total day delivery of adults 25-54.

Last week's episode of Major Crimes has so far climbed to 5.4 million viewers in Live + 3, including 1.6 million adults 25-54. Meanwhile its companion series on TNT's Monday night lineup, King & Maxwell, has climbed to 4.0 million viewers in Live + 3, with 1.0 million adults 25-54.

This past Sunday night's episode of Falling Skies opened with more than 3.5 million viewers in Live + Same Day, a remarkable +27% boost over last week. The show also scored 1.8 million adults 25-54 in Live + Same Day, a +24% increase over the June 16 episode.

Franklin & Bash kicked off its third season Wednesday night with a two-hour premiere, garnering 2.8 million viewers and 1.2 million adults 25-54 in Live + 3 viewing.

TNT's coverage of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 from Sonoma averaged 3.0 U.S. HH rating and 4.7 million total viewers to rank as cable's most-viewed sports program of the week (based on P2+). It also marks the third consecutive NASCAR on TNT race that has ranked as cable's No.1 sports program of the day.

Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network scored as the #1 television network in Early Prime (7-9 p.m.) with kids 2-11 and all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14 on Monday night, #1 with all targeted boys on Tuesday & Wednesday Night, and #1 with boys 6-11 & 9-14 on Friday Night.

The newest episode of the network's Emmy-winning original animated series Regular Show (Monday, 8 p.m.) ranked as the #1 telecast of the week among boys 9-14 on basic cable, #1 for the day among boys 9-14, and #1 in its time period among all kids 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14 and all boys. A new episode of Adventure Time (Monday, 7:30 p.m.) ranked #1 for the day among boys 2-11 & 6-11, and #1 in its timeslot among all targeted kids and boys demos.

Tuesday night overall earned ratings growth vs. last year among kids 2-11 & 6-11 and boys 2-11. A new episode of the original series Teen Titans GO! (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.) ranked as the #1 telecast of the day among boys 6-11, and #1 in its timeslot among all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14.

A new episode of the original animated series The Amazing World of Gumball (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among all boys 2-11, 6-11 & 9-14, while Annoying Orange (Wednesday, 7 p.m.) ranked #1 in its timeslot among boys 6-11 & 9-14.

Premiere episodes of Pokémon BW: Adventures in Unova (Saturday, 8:30 a.m.) and Beyblade: Metal Fury (Saturday, 8 a.m.) both ranked #1 in their respective time periods among boys 9-14.

Adult Swim

Across the fourth week of June 2013, Adult Swim's Total Day ranked #1 with adults 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 and men 18-24, 18-34 & 18-49 on basic cable this week. Compared to the same week in 2012, Total Day delivery grew among adults 18-24 by 6%, adults 18-34 by 8%, adults 18-49 by 1%, men 18-24 by 6%, and men 18-34 by 8%.

Repeating last week's winning performance in Primetime (Broadcast Definition), Adult Swim ranked #1 among basic cable networks for weekly delivery of adults 18-34. Compared to the same week in 2012, Primetime delivery increased across all targeted demos - adults 18-24 by 29%, adults 18-34 by 15%, adults 18-49 by 5%, men 18-24 by 29%, men 18-34 by 17% and men 18-49 by 6%.

The off-network series premiere of Bob's Burgers (Sunday, 11 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-24 & 18-34 and men 18-24 &18-34. The debut also earned growth among adults 18-24 & 18-34 vs. the same time period last year. Additionally, a new episode of the original animated series The Venture Bros. (Sunday, 12 a.m.) increased delivery of all targeted adults and men 18-34, ranging between 3% and 19%, vs. the same time period last year.

Saturday's TOONAMI block new episode of Bleach (12 a.m.) ranked #1 in its timeslot with adults 18-24 & 18-34 and men 18-24 & 18-34. Similarly, Naruto (12:30 a.m.) ranked #1 among adults 18-24 and all targeted male demos, One Piece (1 a.m.) ranked #1 among men 18-24 & 18-34, and Soul Eater (1:30 a.m.) ranked #1 among adults 18-24 & men 18-34. All TOONAMI premiere episodes increased delivery among adults 18-34 & 18-49 and all male demos vs. the same time period last year.

Adult Swim programming - including Family Guy, American Dad, Bobs Burgers, The Cleveland Show and Robot Chicken - accounted for 27 of the top 50 telecasts on basic cable for the week among adults 18-34, and 34 of the top 50 telecasts among men 18-34 - both accomplishments more than any other network.

TBS

TBS's hit sitcom Sullivan & Son has averaged 2.1 million viewers in Live + 3 for last Thursday's episode. In the demos, the episode has garnered 1.0 million adults 18-49 and 455,000 adults 18-34.

With Sullivan & Son and episodes of The Big Bang Theory, TBS claimed 20 of basic cable's Top 25 sitcom telecasts for the week among total viewers and adults 18-49.

truTV

truTV's hit series Hardcore Pawn (Tuesday 9 p.m.) attracted 1.9 million viewers last Tuesday night, a +10% increase over the prior week. The show also drew 860,000 adults 18-49 (+29% vs. the prior week) and 445,000 men 18-49 (+15%), ranking as one of basic cable's Top 5 programs in the timeslot in both demos. Hardcore Pawn also helped lift truTV to a Top 10 finish for the night among key male demos.

The truTV hit South Beach Tow (Wednesday 9:30 p.m.) nabbed 1.5 million viewers last week and ranked as basic cable's #1 program in its timeslot with adults 18-34 and men 18-34. The show lifted truTV to a Top 10 finish for the night with key adult and male demos. It also reduced the median age for its timeslot by 9 years to 36, compared to the same time last year.

The long-running favorite Operation Repo (Wednesday 10 p.m.) brought in 1.4 million viewers last week, scoring double-digit growth across the board compared to the same timeslot a year ago.

NBA TV

NBA TV's NBA GameTime pre- and post-game coverage of the 2013 NBA Finals was up 28% compared with last year. Its average of 186,000 total viewers for pre- and post-game coverage was an all-time record for the network.