USA NETWORK'S LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT "NO MORE EXCUSES" MARATHON RECORDS 2.8M TOTAL VIEWERS DURING PEAK OF 16-HOUR EVENT
TO RAISE AWARENESS THE PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
Marathon Drove Double Digit Year Over Year Increases And Averaged More Than 1M in Key Demos
Social Hashtags Trended Nationally And NO MORE Coalition Partners Saw Increased Traffic To Their Websites, Social Media Platforms & Hotlines
NO MORE Website Experienced Surge Of 2,463% Increase In Visits
NEW YORK, NY - April 29, 2014 - USA Network's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" 16-hour marathon, in partnership with Mariska Hargitay's Foundation, Joyful Heart, and the NO MORE campaign, netted impressive ratings results on Sunday, April 27 averaging more than 1M viewers P18-49 and P25-54 and more than 500k in P18-34 each hour between 5p and midnight. The episodes airing between 7-11p, when compared to SVU episodes in the same timeslot last year, delivered double digit increases across the board (+29% P18-49, +41% P25-54, +23% P18-34) with 2.6M total viewers (+18%) on average. The 16-hour marathon peaked at 9/8c with the episode "Trophy" delivering 1.1M P18-49, 1.2M P25-54 and 2.8M total viewers P2+. The effort to increase awareness and help stop domestic violence and sexual assault featured star-studded PSAs and cast wraps with the series stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Danny Pino and Kelli Giddish and other celebrities saying "NO MORE" to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Throughout the day, USA, the Joyful Heart Foundation, and NO MORE used social media platforms to encourage conversation and inspire greater action to stop and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. The hashtags #sayNOMORE, #NOMORE and #NOMOREexcuses trended nationally during the marathon and the coalition's website received a surge in traffic of 2,463% versus the prior weekend. During each episode, viewers were encouraged to seek out additional information and resources online, including national help hotlines to speak with trained counselors and advocates. The National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by RAINN saw a 106% increase in the number of people helped by the hotline, while the National Domestic Violence Hotline saw a 21% increase in calls compared to the prior Sunday.
Mariska Hargitay said about the marathon:
"I am grateful to USA for their courage, vision and generosity in joining us to say NO MORE to domestic violence and sexual assault. Being part of NO MORE from the beginning has been a great privilege. Society continues to misplace shame and blame on survivors - both women and men. That has to end. NO MORE confronts the myths and excuses that perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault. I am filled with confidence and renewed determination that, together, we can and will put an end to this violence."
In addition to the current cast, former and guest "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" stars appearing in the televised spots include: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Maria Bello, Andre Braugher, Dann Florek, Marcia Gay Harden, Peter Hermann, DavidMarciano, Chris Meloni, Debra Messing, and Blair Underwood.
NO MORE is a public awareness movement focused on sexual assault prevention. Supported by the major national and local organizations working to address these urgent issues, the goal of the NO MORE PSA campaign is to help normalize the conversation and break the social stigma surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault. By increasing visibility and fostering more dialogue, NO MORE seeks to change social norms, improve public policies, and generate more resources dedicated to prevention. More information is available at www.nomore.org.
Created by Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," now in its fifteenth season, is the longest-running primetime drama currently on television. This hard-hitting and emotional series from NBC's "Law & Order" brand chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. The series stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish and Raul Esparza. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Television. Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer; Warren Leight, Julie Martin and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.
The Joyful Heart Foundation, created by Hargitay, has a mission is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues. For more information, please visit: http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/
The #1 network in all of basic cable for an unprecedented eight straight years, USA Network is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live television and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com.
|