7.7 million viewers watched the premiere of TNT’s new “Raising the Bar,” setting the record for the strongest series launch ever on an ad-supported cable network.
"We are proud Raising the Bar is off to such a strong start, with a record-breaking series premiere. Raising the Bar is an important part of TNT’s ongoing plans to take on broadcast networks by increasing our lineup of high-profile, original series. With the strength of the TNT brand and three solid, broadcast-level hits in Raising the Bar, ‘The Closer’ and ‘Saving Grace,’ we are well on the way to achieving our goals,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks.
The commercial-free premiere of Raising the Bar received strong support from its lead-in, The Closer, which is averaging 7.2 million viewers for the season-to-date and continues to rank as ad-supported cable’s #1 series of all time.
Ratings highlights for Monday night’s series launch of Raising the Bar include:
The show scored a 5.9 coverage household rating/5.0 national household rating.
The series premiere was watched by 7,735,000 viewers and 5,709,000 households, ranking as ad-supported cable’s #1 new series launch of all time in those categories.
The telecast also scored 2,837,000 adults 18-49 and 3,471,000 adults 25-54, ranking as ad-supported cable’s top new series launch for the year-to-date.
In setting a new series launch record, Raising the Bar outpaced the 2005 series launch of TNT’s The Closer among households (5,259,000) and the 2004 series launch of USA’s “The 4400” among viewers (7,407,000).
In ranking as ad-supported cable’s top new series launch for the year-to-date, Raising the Bar supplanted USA’s “In Plain Sight” among viewers (5,253,000); households (3,809,000); adults 18-49 (2,298,000); and adults 25-54 (2,567,000).
Raising the Bar is executive-produced by Steven Bochco and stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek. The drama series follows the lives and cases of young lawyers who work on opposite sides the public defender’s office and the district attorney’s office as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases.
