Season Two: Ratings Predictions/Discussion

[Zhiroc]

Hasn't every Stargate season to date (including the time when SG1 was on Showtime) syndicated its prior season? I don't think what SGU is doing is really all that different, I think we just forgot about it

Given it's free to air, with sharing of ad revenue, it's an OK deal for stations. It will be telling when they air it though. If it's on during the day, I think that demonstrates more ratings strength to that station than if they air it on late night.

[Sami_]

But that exclusivity would have been negotiated in their contract for SGU. Syfy would have already known it was coming. Syfy chose not to pay the extra money to maintain that exclusivity. Like MediaSavant pointed out, it's been airing since before Season 2 started. This isn't a surprise to them. Why would it affect their decision making for season 3 if it's already part of the deal?

It was negotiated at a time (before the show aired) when everyone was optimistic about SGU's ratings and I'm sure thought it would be a hit, now that the ratings are borderline (if not definitely) cancellation territory I think this becomes a major issue - it will cause more people to stop watching it on Syfy in my opinion.

Its a simple question, is Syfy better of with being the only channel that shows SGU in the United States?

The answer is quite obviously yes.

[BloomGate]

It was negotiated at a time (before the show aired) when everyone was optimistic about SGU's ratings and I'm sure thought it would be a hit, now that the ratings are borderline (if not definitely) cancellation territory I think this becomes a major issue - it will cause more people to stop watching it on Syfy in my opinion.

Its a simple question, is Syfy better of with being the only channel that shows SGU in the United States?

The answer is quite obviously yes.

I still don't understand how season 1 being syndicated on local broadcast stations affects Syfy showing season 2. I don't think the people watching it on the local broadcast stations a year later even have cable to watch it on Syfy to begin with.

I get it that you try to spin absolutely everything as a reason that SGU won't get renewed, but I'm pretty sure the people watching it a year later on a local broadcast station don't get Syfy to begin with.

[Zhiroc]

Its a simple question, is Syfy better of with being the only channel that shows SGU in the United States?

The answer is quite obviously yes.

The syndication is only for season 1. They will not be able to get S2 until next year. So I don't think it hurts, and it could help if it entices new viewers to watch. Unfortunately, it could be that the new viewers have no access to SyFy, so if that's the case, it won't help those ratings.

I don't think the syndication started in Sept. though. The next episode to air locally is Darkness (S1 ep4).

I'll be curious to hear if the syndicated ratings fall off like they did on first air, or not.

[carmencatalina]

I don't think the syndication started in Sept. though. The next episode to air locally is Darkness (S1 ep4).

Same for my local channel. It is nice, I'm doing a re-watch while waiting for my season 1 DVD (Santa is bringing me one, I'm reliably informed).

[Sami_]

I still don't understand how season 1 being syndicated on local broadcast stations affects Syfy showing season 2. I don't think the people watching it on the local broadcast stations a year later even have cable to watch it on Syfy to begin with.

I get it that you try to spin absolutely everything as a reason that SGU won't get renewed, but I'm pretty sure the people watching it a year later on a local broadcast station don't get Syfy to begin with.

So you don't think there is anyone who is new to SGU and decide to watch it syndicated since it conveniently lets them watch from the start and won't watch it on Syfy because they know they are able to see it from the beginning elsewhere?

I know these people exist because I was in that exact position with several shows - the newest episode airs somewhere but since it was conveniently on another channel from the start I stick to their schedule instead of either trying to catch up and watch it live.

Now people have good reason not to be concerned with watching it live (newest episode).

[BloomGate]

So you don't think there is anyone who is new to SGU and decide to watch it syndicated since it conveniently lets them watch from the start and won't watch it on Syfy because they know they are able to see it from the beginning elsewhere?

I know these people exist because I was in that exact position with several shows - the newest episode airs somewhere but since it was conveniently on another channel from the start I stick to their schedule instead of either trying to catch up and watch it live.

Now people have good reason not to be concerned with watching it live (newest episode).

So, if you didn't have the opportunity to see it on another channel, you WOULD try to catch up and watch it live? If you couldn't see it on another channel from the beginning, how would you know that you liked it enough to try and catch up to watch it live?

I think the point to the syndication from an MGM perspective is that their target audience are people that don't HAVE cable and can't see the show otherwise. From a Syfy perspective, I would think they would think they might gain a few viewers from people catching it from the beginning that like it and want to get up to date and see the new ones. Sure, they might lose out on a few potential viewers that aren't already watching the show anyway, but I would think that they would expect to gain more than they would have from people just deciding to start watching it that aren't currently.

Here's a link to the announcement back in March of 2010:

http://stargate-sg1-solutions.com/bl...0-syndication/

I somehow have a hard time believing that this was much of a surprise for Syfy and that it would affect their thinking on renewal at all.

[MediaSavant]

It was negotiated at a time (before the show aired) when everyone was optimistic about SGU's ratings and I'm sure thought it would be a hit, now that the ratings are borderline (if not definitely) cancellation territory I think this becomes a major issue - it will cause more people to stop watching it on Syfy in my opinion.

Its a simple question, is Syfy better of with being the only channel that shows SGU in the United States?

The answer is quite obviously yes.

What's showing in syndication is a year old.

Most people don't even know it's showing because it is getting lousy timeslots.

It won't impact Syfy's ratings.

[MrMann101]

Live +7
Intervention - 1.3 HH rating (1.699 Million viewers)
Aftermath - 1.2 HH rating (1.565 Million viewers)
Awakening - 1.3 HH rating (1.729 Million viewers)
Pathogen - 1.1 HH rating (1.474 Million viewers)
Cloverdale - 1.1 HH rating (1.464 Million viewers)
Trial and Error - 1.1 HH rating (1.487 Million viewers)
The Greater Good - 1.1 HH rating (1.526 Million viewers)
Malice - 1.1 HH rating (1.501 Million viewers)
Visitation - 1.0 rating HH (1.605) million viewers, 0.8 A18-49

Season to date: 1.1 HH rating (1.561 Million viewers)

Why has the HH rating for Visitation gone down, the numbers were a 100,000 more than Malice?

[MediaSavant]

In regards to synication, here is where SGU ranks for household ratings among a selection of other 1-hour, once a week shows in syndication YTD:

Criminal Minds 3.3
Monk 2.9
Bones 2.5
Closer 2.4
Numb3rs 2.4
House 1.9
Greys Anatomy 1.8
Burn Notice 1.7
Cold Case 1.7
The Unit 1.7
Brothers & Sisters 1.0
Ugly Betty 0.9
SGU 0.4
TNG 0.4
Stargate 0.3

[hercthx]

Why has the HH rating for Visitation gone down, the numbers were a 100,000 more than Malice?

IDK that was the return mediasavant posted 1 page back so i added it to the list

[MediaSavant]

IDK that was the return mediasavant posted 1 page back so i added it to the list

I didn't produce the other ratings on the list. I don't know where they came from. It's possible the other HH ratings on the list are coverage area ratings. My rating was a Total U.S. rating consistent with what TV by the Numbers posts. The coverage area rating for Visitation was 1.2.

[RealmOfX]

Why has the HH rating for Visitation gone down, the numbers were a 100,000 more than Malice?

Because the household rating is based on households not viewers and there was probably a small change in Viewers Per Household. It could also be a rounding issue and the difference is a tiny margin.

[MrMann101]

K guys. Thanks for clearing that up

[Deevil]

Hasn't every Stargate season to date (including the time when SG1 was on Showtime) syndicated its prior season? I don't think what SGU is doing is really all that different, I think we just forgot about it

Yup, that they have. Most shows will syndicate previous series to local networks, it's par for course.

To address whoever (I can't remember who said it) suggested that this syndication will negatively affect ratings, it hasn't in the past or present with a number of shows, why would anyone expect that to change.

On a very very small scale, it may introduce the show to a new audience and even, potentially (the likelihood of this may be small) add additional ratings to future live showings on Skiffy.