Nielsen Monitor-Plus unveils ratings for series finales

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Television viewers said goodbye to a few of their favorite programs last month and Nielsen Monitor-Plus took a historic and in-depth look at advertising for the Gilmore Girls (WB/CW), 7th Heaven (WB), and King of Queens (CBS), which recently aired their series finales.


Gilmore Girls experienced a 120% increase in the cost of an average commercial from 2000 (premiere year, 38,534) to 2003 (peak year, 84,724). Rates dropped in 2004 and 2005, and rose again in 2006 to 84,285.
Ratings for Gilmore Girls ranged from 2.5 (HH rating in 00-01 season) to 3.4 (HH rating in 02-03 season). Viewership peaked in the program's second year on the air at 5.2 million viewers.

7th Heaven aired its first program in 1996, with a 30-second spot averaging 20,843. Ad revenue continued to increase over the next several years, peaking in 2004 at 81,576 for a 30-second spot. In 2005, the rate dropped to 70,939, and in 2006 fell further to 66,224. 7th Heaven generated 600.3 million in ad revenue through its years on the air.

Audience levels for 7th Heaven have risen and then fallen during the 11 years the program was on the air. The premiere season had a 2.3 rating, while the finale season was a bit lower at 2.1. The 1998-1999 season saw the greatest number of viewers with 7.6 million.

When King of Queens premiered in 1998, the average cost of a 30-second ad was 82,655. Over the 10 years of the program's life, the average cost increased every year with the exception of 2003 and 2004. 2006 garnered the highest rate of 169,676. In total, the program generated 536.3 million in ad revenue since 1998, earning the most in 2005, 76.2 million. The most recent season of King of Queens received a 7.3 average household rating with 11.2 million viewers tuning in. Ratings and viewership peaked in the 2001-2002 season with an 8.9 rating and 13.9 million viewers.