Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff Post Strong Ratings Gains & Best Years Ever in 2017

ATLANTA, Jan. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff each racked up significant viewership increases across all dayparts and enjoyed their most-watched calendar years ever in 2017.

Bounce

• Bounce delivered its highest-rated and fourth consecutive year of growth in both Primetime and Total Day in 2017. Prime delivery increases over 2016 included +10% in Households, +6% in Persons 25-54, +9% in P18+ and +3% in P2+. Bounce was up +14% in HHs, +2% in P18-49, +7% in P25-54, +12 % in P18+ and +7 in P2+ in Total Day.
• Original series were among Bounce's most-watched programming last year led by the popular drama Saints & Sinners (Reaching 7.3 million viewers 2+) which returns for season three this April and the original sitcoms Family Time (5.4 million), Grown Folks (nearly 5 million) and In The Cut (4.7 million).
• Bounce finished the year as the fastest-growing African-American network on television, outpacing BET, TV1 and OWN in growth among Households, P2+ and P18+ in Primetime and in HHs, P25-54, P2+ and P18+ in Total Day.

Grit

• Grit increased both Prime and Total Day viewership for the second consecutive year in 2017. Grit posted primetime gains over 2016 of +9% in HHs, +5% in P18+ and +3% in both P2+ and Men 2+. The gains were even stronger in Total Day as Grit garnered double-digit increases in HHs (+22%), P18+ (+17%), P2+ (+14%) & M2+ (+15%).
• Grit saw movie airings begin to reach over half a million Persons 2+ (The Sons of Katie Elder) and weekend programming festivals reach nearly three million unique viewers P2+ (Lethal Weapon and sequels marathon.)

Escape

• Escape also posted Prime and Total Day viewership increases for the second consecutive year since becoming rated. Escape delivered double-digit gains in prime of +13% in HHs, +12% in Women 2+ and +10% in P2+. Escape also delivered double-digit gains in HHs (+15%), W2+ (+16%) and P2+ (+13%) in Total Day.
• Escape had over half a dozen true crime show marathons reach two million viewers 2+ including those featuring American Greed, Forensic Files and It Takes a Killer.

Laff

• Laff racked up strong double-digit Primetime increases in HHs (+60%), P18-49 (+85%), P25-54 (+79%), P18+ (+56%), P2+ (+58%), Women 2+ (+71%) and W18+ (+70%) vs. 2016. Laff's Total Day increases over 2016 were equally impressive, including +64% in HHs, +87% in P18-49, +83% in P25-54, +63% in P18+ and +64% in P2+.
• The fourth quarter of 2017 was Laff's ninth consecutive quarter of Primetime growth in Households and the network's highest-rated quarter to-date in HHs, P18-49, P25-54, P18+ and P2+.

About Katz Networks

The Katz networks are targeted, demo-specific brands leading a new generation of fast-growing broadcast networks created to serve cord-cutters, cord-nevers and subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) subscribers. Bounce, seen in 86 percent of U.S. households and 95 percent of all target-market, African-American television homes, is the first and only African-American broadcast network and features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Escape, currently in 89 percent of the U.S., reaches women 25-54 with a brand of programming anchored in stories of investigation and mystery. Grit, available in 87 percent of U.S. households, targets men 25-54 with a lineup of western and action movies and series. Laff, covering 90 percent of the U.S., is the nation's first over-the-air network devoted to comedy around-the-clock, and presents contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular movies geared toward an audience of adults 18-49. The Katz networks are part of The E.W. Scripps Company SSP.

Source: Nielsen, L+SD, CY17 (12/26/16-12/31/17) VS. CY16 (12/28/15-12/25/16), Total Day (Mon-Su 6a-6a), Prime (Mon-Su 7p-11p)

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SOURCE Katz Networks