The makeover of A&E Network seems to have taken hold as they have moved into the top five in cable networks.
With the decision to add "The Sopranos" to their lineup, it culminated a plan that they've been working on for a few years. The network has been repositioning themselves as a more edgy channel over that time, and the addition of "Sopranos" fit in at the right moment. Shows like "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" and "Dog the Bounty Hunter" helped pave the way.
The $2.55 million per episode dished out by the network seemed like a big risk at the time, yet as we talked about before, even if the show didn't make money, the strength of it lowering the average age of their viewers, plus the Soprano brand name always being connected to A&E, was worth the price regardless of what happened.
The ratings have confirmed that it was a good move by A&E so far, even after plummeting in viewership after the first week. For January of 2007, the network's primetime average soared by 67 percent, from 1.01 million to 1.676 million, moving into the top five of cable networks, according to Nielsen.
In the coveted 18-49 age group, A&E is now averaging 806,000 viewers, an increase of 54 percent from the 522,000 they averaged last year. Similar results, almost to the percentage, increased in the 25-54s and 18-34s. It was the strongest growth of any network in the top 20.
With the additional viewership, A&E announced at the Television Critics Association winter tour in January that it will take the opportunity to offer a new scripted drama next year, which will bring the total to six that they now, the pilots they have in development.
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