Spike, a unit of cable programming giant Viacom Inc.’s MTV Networks, shelled out $600,000 per episode to HBO for “Entourage” in the hopes that it would draw a big audience and serve as a platform for the channel to promote its original shows, such as “Blue Mountain State.”
Instead, “Entourage” has not gotten good ratings […]
via Los Angeles Times.
Saying that Entourage “has not gotten good ratings” on Spike is an understatement. The LA Times article also notes the large number of ads (blocks up to 10 minutes in length) during the Spike Entourage telecasts, and guesses they are trying to recoup those costs.
As we’ve noted in earlier posts, the ratings failure in syndication of HBO shows presumably reduces the selling prices for future HBO show rights which puts pressure on one of the legs of HBO’s business model.
Just How Bad Are The Entourage Ratings?
Two weeks ago the 4 episodes of Entourage on Spike aired on Friday night between 9pm and midnight, the best averaged 237,000 viewers.
These are the Spike telecasts that week with more average viewers than Entourage (sorry, we get demo ratings information for only a limited number of cable shows, and Nielsen prohibits long lists with their ratings, so I have only show names and timeslots).
| Show | Net | Day | Time |
| TNA: IMPACT | SPK | Thu | 09:00P-11:01P |
| STAR WARS:EPISODE IV1977 | SPK | Sun | 09:47P-01:05A |
| STAR WARS:EPISODE III | SPK | Sun | 06:21P-09:47P |
| STAR WARS:EPISODE II | SPK | Sun | 03:07P-06:21P |
| STAR WARS:EPISODE III | SPK | Sat | 09:31P-12:56A |
| STAR WARS:EPISODE II | SPK | Sat | 06:06P-09:31P |
| STAR WARS:EPISODE I(1999) | SPK | Sat | 03:02P-06:06P |
| STAR WARS:EPISODE I(1999) | SPK | Sun | 12:00P-03:07P |
| DEA | SPK | Tue | 09:01P-10:01P |
| ULTIMATE KNOCKOUTS 2 | SPK | Wed | 09:02P-10:01P |
| SCRAPPERS | SPK | Tue | 10:01P-10:31P |
| JAIL | SPK | Sun | 11:30A-12:00P |
| DEA | SPK | Tue | 08:01P-09:01P |
| SOLDIER | SPK | Sat | 01:00P-03:02P |
| TNA REACTION | SPK | Thu | 11:01P-12:00A |
| ULTIMATE FIGHTER UNLEASHD | SPK | Wed | 08:01P-09:02P |
| ROAST OF LARRY THE CABLE | SPK | Tue | 11:02P-12:34A |
| PLATOON | SPK | Mon | 08:15P-11:20P |
| PROS VS. JOES | SPK | Wed | 10:01P-11:01P |
| MUSCLECAR | SPK | Sat | 12:30P-01:00P |
| SCRAPPERS | SPK | Tue | 10:31P-11:02P |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Fri | 08:09P-09:17P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 04:00P-05:00P |
| NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN | SPK | Sat | 12:56A-04:00A |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 05:00P-06:00P |
| GANGLAND | SPK | Thu | 08:01P-09:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 02:00P-03:00P |
| JAIL | SPK | Sun | 11:00A-11:30A |
| TRUCKS! | SPK | Sat | 12:00P-12:30P |
| HORSEPOWER TV | SPK | Sat | 11:30A-12:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 01:00P-02:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 05:01P-06:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 12:00P-01:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 03:00P-04:00P |
| GANGLAND | SPK | Thu | 07:01P-08:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 02:01P-03:01P |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Fri | 07:01P-08:09P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 11:00A-12:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 01:00P-02:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 03:01P-04:01P |
| MUSCLECAR | SPK | Sun | 10:30A-11:00A |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Tue | 06:01P-07:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 04:00P-05:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 04:01P-05:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 03:00P-04:00P |
| XTREME 4X4 | SPK | Sat | 11:00A-11:30A |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 05:00P-06:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 05:01P-06:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 12:00P-01:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 03:00P-04:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 04:00P-05:01P |
| DEA | SPK | Tue | 07:01P-08:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 01:01P-02:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Mon | 10:00A-11:00A |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 12:00P-01:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 11:00A-12:00P |
| DEADLIEST WARRIOR | SPK | Mon | 07:00P-08:15P |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Mon | 06:00P-07:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 02:01P-03:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 04:01P-05:01P |
| TRUCKS! | SPK | Sun | 10:00A-10:30A |
| CHAPPELLE SHOW | SPK | Tue | 12:34A-01:06A |
| ULTIMATE FIGHTER UNLEASHD | SPK | Wed | 07:01P-08:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 12:01P-01:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 03:01P-04:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 01:01P-02:01P |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Wed | 06:01P-07:01P |
| BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE | SPK | Wed | 11:01P-11:31P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 11:00A-12:00P |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Fri | 06:01P-07:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 11:00A-12:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 10:00A-11:00A |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 12:00P-01:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 01:00P-02:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 02:00P-03:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Tue | 02:00P-03:00P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Thu | 10:00A-11:00A |
| MANSWERS | SPK | Thu | 01:39A-02:09A |
| MANSWERS | SPK | Fri | 11:58P-12:28A |
| MANSWERS | SPK | Thu | 01:09A-01:39A |
| MANSWERS | SPK | Thu | 12:09A-12:39A |
| MANSWERS | SPK | Thu | 12:39A-01:09A |
| HORSEPOWER TV | SPK | Sun | 09:30A-10:00A |
| ULTIMATE FIGHTER UNLEASHD | SPK | Thu | 06:01P-07:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Wed | 10:00A-11:00A |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Mon | 01:00A-02:00A |
| MANSWERS | SPK | Fri | 12:59A-01:30A |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 11:01A-12:01P |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 10:01A-11:01A |
| MANSWERS | SPK | Fri | 01:30A-02:01A |
| STAR TREK: VOYAGER | SPK | Mon | 02:00A-03:00A |
| STAR TREK: VOYAGER | SPK | Tue | 02:06A-03:07A |
| SCRAPPERS | SPK | Mon | 11:20P-12:00A |
| HAWAII FIVE-O | SPK | Fri | 05:01P-06:01P |
| C.S.I. | SPK | Tue | 01:06A-02:06A |
| STAR TREK: VOYAGER | SPK | Wed | 02:02A-03:04A |
| GAMETRAILERS TV W/ GK | SPK | Fri | 12:28A-12:59A |
| KNOCKOUT SPORTSWORLD | SPK | Mon | 12:00A-12:30A |
| SPORTS CRASH | SPK | Mon | 12:30A-01:00A |
| WEEKEND PRE-GAME W/ CRAIG | SPK | Thu | 12:00A-12:09A |
| S.I.S. | SPK | Fri | 02:01A-04:00A |
| 1000 WAYS TO DIE | SPK | Wed | 03:04A-03:36A |
| BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE | SPK | Wed | 11:31P-12:02A |