Top 100 Primetime Cable: August 17 - 23, 2015

To the surprise of nobody, the series premiere of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD was cable's top program of the week, by establishing a new standard for cable series premieres. The companion series to the #1 show on TV, posted the best ever numbers for a premiere, by a cable series. 10.1 million viewers, along with a 4.9 rating in Adults 18-49, watched the 90 minute series opener, from 9 to 10:30 p.m. An additional 2.49 million viewers watched it from 10:30 pm to 12 a.m., making it the #25 cable program of the week. Add in a special TAKING DEAD as the lead in to the premiere, 4.2 million and AMC totally ruled Sunday night.

The season finale of DUCK DYNASTY was edged out by LOVE & HIP HOP as the top reality series of the week. Just 70,000 viewers separated the two programs, but L&HH had a 70% advantage over DD in the A18-49 demographic ratings.

ESPN's first preseason NFL game was the top sports event of the week, ranking 5th, with 3.9 million viewers.

The much anticipated series premiere of Starz's BLUNT TALK, starring Patrick Stewart, only drew 450,000 viewers, on Saturday night.

Rank	Day	Show	Net	Time	Viewers*	A18-49
1	Sun	Fear The Walking Dead (SP)	AMC	9:00 PM	10.13	4.9
2	Tue	Rizzoli & Isles	TNT	9:00 PM	4.52	0.7
3	Sun	Talking Dead (S)	AMC	8:00 PM	4.18	1.9
4	Mon	WWE Raw	USA	9:00 PM	3.95	1.3
5	Thu	NFL Preseason Game	ESPN	8:00 PM	3.87	1.3
6	Mon	WWE Raw	USA	10:00 PM	3.73	1.3
7	Mon	WWE Raw	USA	8:00 PM	3.65	1.2
8	Sat	NASCAR Sprint Cup Race	NBCSN	8:00 PM	3.61	0.7
9	Mon	Love & Hip Hop/ATL	VH1	8:00 PM	3.33	1.7
10	Wed	Duck Dynasty (SF)	A&E	9:00 PM	3.26	1.0
11	Fri	Trump Campaign Rally	FOXN	8:15 PM	3.11	0.3
12	Mon	The O'Reilly Factor	FOXN	8:00 PM	3.10	0.3
13	Wed	The O'Reilly Factor	FOXN	8:00 PM	3.08	0.3
14	Tue	Haves and Have Nots	OWN	9:00 PM	3.06	0.9
15	Tue	The O'Reilly Factor	FOXN	8:00 PM	3.04	0.3
16	Thu	Mountain Men	HIST	9:00 PM	3.01	0.6
17	Thu	The O'Reilly Factor	FOXN	8:00 PM	2.87	0.3
18	Tue	Movie: Descendants	DSNY	8:00 PM	2.75	0.5
19	Sun	The Last Ship	TNT	9:00 PM	2.69	0.7
20	Wed	American Pickers	HIST	9:00 PM	2.65	0.5
21	Sun	Naked & Afraid XL	DISC	10:00 PM	2.65	1.1
22	Wed	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	10:00 PM	2.62	1.0
23	Wed	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	9:30 PM	2.58	0.9
24	Wed	the Kelly File	FOXN	9:00 PM	2.56	0.3
25	Sun	Fear The Walking Dead	AMC	10:30 PM	2.49	1.2
26	Fri	The Kell File	FOXN	9:15 PM	2.49	0.2
27	Sun	The Walking Dead	AMC	6:30 PM	2.48	1.0
28	Fri	The O'Reilly Factor	FOXN	8:00 PM	2.47	0.2
29	Wed	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	10:30 PM	2.44	0.8
30	Thu	WWE Smackdown	SYFY	8:00 PM	2.43	0.7
31	Tue	Deadliest Catch	DISC	9:00 PM	2.42	0.9
32	Thu	ALONE	HIST	10:00 PM	2.38	0.6
33	Wed	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	9:00 PM	2.34	0.8
34	Wed	SUITS	USA	9:00 PM	2.30	0.6
35	Thu	the Kelly File	FOXN	9:00 PM	2.29	0.2
36	Fri	Girl Meets World	DSNY	8:30 PM	2.26	0.5
37	Tue	The Kelly File	FOXN	9:00 PM	2.24	0.2
38	Mon	The Kelly File	FOXN	9:00 PM	2.23	0.2
39	Fri	Bunk'd	DSNY	8:00 PM	2.18	0.4
40	Thu	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	9:30 PM	2.15	0.8
41	Tue	PROOF	TNT	10:00 PM	2.12	0.3
42	Sun	Beach Flip	HGTV	9:00 PM	2.11	0.4
43	Wed	American Dad	ADSM	10:30 PM	2.11	1.0
44	Sat	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	10:30 PM	2.10	0.7
45	Sat	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	10:00 PM	2.09	0.7
46	Thu	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	10:00 PM	2.08	0.8
47	Thu	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	10:30 PM	2.07	0.7
48	Wed	American Dad	ADSM	10:00 PM	2.05	1.0
49	Tue	American Dad	ADSM	10:30 PM	2.05	0.9
50	Tue	Descendants: Set It Off!	DSNY	10:00 PM	2.04	0.3
51	Wed	HANNITY	FOXN	10:00 PM	2.03	0.3
52	Mon	The Real Housewives/OC	BRVO	9:00 PM	2.03	0.9
53	Sun	Best Friends Whenever	DSNY	8:30 PM	2.03	0.3
54	Sun	Family Guy	ADSM	10:30 PM	2.02	0.9
55	Fri	Dog With A Blog	DSNY	9:00 PM	2.01	0.3
56	Tue	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	9:00 PM	1.99	0.8
57	Tue	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	8:30 PM	1.95	0.8
58	Wed	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	8:30 PM	1.95	0.6
59	Sun	Austin & Ally	DSNY	8:00 PM	1.94	0.3
60	Sun	LL World Series	ESPN2	7:00 PM	1.93	0.5
61	Sun	NCIS	USA	9:00 PM	1.93	0.3
62	Thu	Fixer Upper	HGTV	9:00 PM	1.92	0.4
63	Wed	Prop. Brothers: Buy & Sell	HGTV	9:00 PM	1.91	0.5
64	Tue	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	9:30 PM	1.91	0.7
65	Mon	She's Got Game	VH1	9:00 PM	1.90	0.9
66	Mon	Zapped	DSNY	8:00 PM	1.90	0.3
67	Fri	Edge of Alaska	DISC	9:00 PM	1.89	0.5
68	Sun	Sunday Night Baseball	ESPN	8:00 PM	1.89	0.5
69	Sun	Ice Road Truckers	HIST	9:00 PM	1.89	0.4
70	Sun	NCIS	USA	10:00 PM	1.89	0.3
71	Mon	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	10:30 PM	1.88	0.7
72	Mon	Murder In The First	TNT	10:00 PM	1.88	0.3
73	Sun	NCIS	USA	7:00 PM	1.88	0.3
74	Tue	Counting Cars	HIST	9:30 PM	1.85	0.5
75	Sun	NCIS	USA	8:00 PM	1.85	0.3
76	Fri	Family Guy	ADSM	10:30 PM	1.85	0.7
77	Mon	House Hunters Off Grid	HGTV	10:00 PM	1.85	0.4
78	Thu	American Dad	ADSM	10:30 PM	1.85	0.8
79	Fri	Treasure Quest	DISC	10:00 PM	1.83	0.5
80	Sat	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	9:30 PM	1.83	0.6
81	Sun	Beachfront Bargain Hunt	HGTV	8:30 PM	1.79	0.3
82	Thu	Project Runway	LIFE	9:00 PM	1.79	0.5
83	Tue	House Hunters Off Grid	HGTV	10:00 PM	1.77	0.4
84	Tue	American Dad	ADSM	10:00 PM	1.77	0.7
85	Sun	Falling Skies	TNT	10:00 PM	1.76	0.5
86	Wed	House Hunters Off Grid	HGTV	10:00 PM	1.76	0.4
87	Thu	HANNITY	FOXN	10:00 PM	1.75	0.2
88	Mon	HANNITY	FOXN	10:00 PM	1.75	0.2
89	Fri	KC Undercover	DSNY	9:30 PM	1.75	0.3
90	Thu	American Dad	ADSM	10:00 PM	1.75	0.8
91	Mon	Tiny House, Big Living	HGTV	9:30 PM	1.74	0.5
92	Thu	House Hunters INTL	HGTV	10:30 PM	1.73	0.4
93	Sat	The Big Bang Theory	TBS	9:00 PM	1.73	0.6
94	Thu	Fixer Upper	HGTV	8:00 PM	1.72	0.4
95	Sun	Beachfront Bargain Hunt	HGTV	8:00 PM	1.71	0.3
96	Sat	American Dad	ADSM	10:30 PM	1.71	0.7
97	Sun	Island Hunters	HGTV	10:30 PM	1.69	0.4
98	Thu	House Hunters Off Grid	HGTV	10:00 PM	1.69	0.4
99	Sun	American Dad	ADSM	10:00 PM	1.68	0.7
100	Sun	Beachfront Bargain Hunt	HGTV	7:00 PM	1.68	0.3

* - in millions