March 11, 2011

SPACE Viewership Rockets to New Heights

– MERLIN, BEING HUMAN and movies top the charts –
– INNERSPACE up 60% in January and 27% so far this Winter –
– SPACECAST.com views up more than 200% –
– Coming soon: Spring premieres of fan favourites
DOCTOR WHO, SANCTUARY and the original BEING HUMAN –

Toronto, ON (March 11, 2011) – Canadians are over the moon about SPACE this season. Canada’s home for all things genre started 2011 with a bang as January became the most-watched month in the channel's history. On average, 86,000 total viewers tuned in during a 24-hour period - a figure that was 23% higher than the broadcast year-to-date average. January also saw SPACE rank #1 among non-sports specialty networks in the first week of the month with an average of 66,000 viewers aged 25-54.

In January and February, SPACE is confirmed as the third most-watched non-sports specialty service among adults 25-54 and an impressive 6th among women 25-54 this Winter. February kicked serious genre butt, with a 33% increase in adults 25-54 compared to February, 2010. And March is coming in like a lion with preliminary data showing the first week audiences are up 8% among adult 25-54 viewers and 29% among women 25-54 (vs. the first week of March, 2010).

Leading the charge is Season 3 of MERLIN which is currently pulling in an average of almost 400,000 total viewers and 162,000 adult 25-54 viewers so far this year, up 62% for adults 25-54 compared to same number of broadcasts last season. Season 1 of BEING HUMAN (US) is also seeing impressive numbers with an average of 122,000 adult 25-54 viewers, and rounding out the Top 3 is THE SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE event with an average of 104,000 adult 25-54 viewers.

INNERSPACE – Canada’s leading genre news program - has also enjoyed a spike in total viewers this Winter with an average audience of 52,000, up 27% compared to the same period last year. In January alone, the show saw an increase of 60% among adult viewers 18-49 vs. January, 2010.


Viewers are not only tuning in to telecasts, but also logging on in droves as SPACECAST.com has enjoyed a 55% increase in page view traffic so far in 2011, vs. Winter 2010. Additionally, unique visitors to the site were up 35% year-over-year and video views were up 215% over last Winter.**

**Media Note** – Download photography for all SPACE programs at http://www.ctvmedia.ca/space

When it comes to the best in genre programming, SPACE continues to reign supreme. This Spring, viewers can expect more high-octane adventures with the highly anticipated premieres of new seasons for DOCTOR WHO, SANCTUARY and BEING HUMAN (UK).

Last season (Season 5) of the regenerated DOCTOR WHO series enjoyed a stellar run attracting an average of 391,000 total viewers. This Spring (date to be announced), Matt Smith and Karen Gillan return as The Doctor and Amy Pond for Season 6 of fan and critical darling. Filmed in North America for the first time ever, the two-part opener finds the Doctor, Amy, and Rory (Arthur Darvill) on a secret summons that takes them on an adventure from the Utah desert to the Oval Office in 1969. Alex Kingston (ER) reprises as River Song, while Mark Sheppard (SUPERNATURAL) guest stars as Canton.

Original SPACE series SANCTUARY follows the adventures of the enigmatic scientist Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) who with her team, shelter a clandestine population of strange and sometimes terrifying beings which most believe don’t even exist. Full of twists and turns, the first half of Season 3 raised the bar on excitement with gripping storylines and new characters. In the 3.5 premiere of SANCTUARY on Friday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the adventures pick up where the mid-season finale cliff hanger left-off, with the team at the mercy of the inimitable Ranna, played by Polly Walker (CAPRICA, ROME).

BEING HUMAN (UK) is a smart and sexy, eight-part drama following the lives of three twenty-somethings living double lives in Bristol, UK as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost. In the first episode of Season 3 on Monday, April 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, George is arrested just before a full moon and Mitchell must deal with his haunting past before attempting to save Annie from purgatory.

Following SPACE’s primetime series, INNERSPACE delivers an action-packed half-hour four nights a week. Starting in April, INNERSPACE airs Tuesday-Friday at 11 p.m. ET, exclusively on SPACE.

SPACE is Canada’s national science fiction, horror and fantasy channel. SPACE is truly the boutique station for all those who dare to challenge their imagination (www.spacecast.com). SPACE is owned by CTV Limited, a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
SPACE WebsiteSGU Website
SPACE on FacebookSPACE on Twitter

INNERSPACE
Teddy Twitter
Ajay Twitter
Natasha Twitter
INNERSPACE on the web

BEING HUMAN
http://www.facebook.com/BBC.Being.Human
http://twitter.com/bbcbeinghuman
DOCTOR WHO
http://twitter.com/drwhoonline
http://www.facebook.com/DoctorWho
SANCTUARY
http://www.facebook.com/SanctuarySeries
http://twitter.com/SanctuarySeries

- SPACE -

SOURCE:
BBM Canada, rankings among Canadian English Commercial Specialty networks
**Omniture (Jan/Feb 2011 vs Jan/Feb 2010)


For more information, please contact: Mary Costa, Senior Publicist, 416-384-7702, mary.costa@ctv.ca
Renee Dupuis, Public Relations Manager, 416-384-3154, renee.dupuis@ctv.ca

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