Already this year, networks have stacked more than 550 current season TV series on Xfinity On Demand, allowing viewers to catch up and keep up on every episode. With more good shows to watch than ever, stacking has proven to be a secret weapon for networks, helping them to build new audiences, boost live ratings and extend the life of a series.
Last summer, TNT’s original drama The Last Ship (pictured) broke records as 5.3 million national viewers tuned in to watch the season premiere live. On Xfinity On Demand, the network saw audience growth week-over-week throughout the summer, routinely cracking the top 5 of the weekly Xfinity On Demand Top 20 list. In fact, the 18-49 Live + 3 (L3) ratings in Comcast households were 30 percent higher on average throughout the entire season.
Because every current season episode of The Last Ship was available on Xfinity On Demand, people who heard about the show a little later into its run could go back and catch up from the beginning. In fact, of the 1.1M views of the premiere episode of The Last Ship on Xfinity On Demand, 64 percent happened after week one and 30 percent happened after week four.
TNT saw similar success with another of their original breakout hits, Murder in the First, which was fully stacked on Xfinity On Demand and another strong performer on the weekly Top 20 list. In Comcast households, Murder in the First’s 18-49 L3 ratings averaged 40 percent higher throughout the season. Of the 819,000 views of the premiere episode on Xfinity On Demand, 65 percent happened after week one. 33 percent happened after week four.
Turner will build on their success as they get both TNT and TBS ready for the new summer and fall season (which are both already loaded up with new and returning hits). For TNT and TBS, returning hit shows like American Dad, Cold Justice, Falling Skies, Legends, Librarians, Murder in the First and The Last Ship will all be stacked for their upcoming seasons. And they’re also making new series like Angie Tribeca, Clipped, Proof and Public Morals fully stacked too – so viewers will have a reliable and predictable destination to discover, sample, and catch-up on their favorite shows while TBS and TNT can continue to find new audiences through video on demand viewing.