What part of ratings matter more?

[detective392]

When ever I read about ratings I see things like 1.9 in adults or 2.8 in women. But I only care about total viewers. So what do companies look at when they decide how good a show is doing? Like last night the Vampire Diaries did 3.35 million viewers which is good as it's right with season 1 episodes and even better then some but women and adult ratings are also down and they said that CW can't be happy about it but I don't get why as that's good for the show. So what matters more total viewers or people ratios?

sorry if it's confusing I got lost when writing this.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Main networks look at 18-49. Viewers don't matter to them.

CW looks at women 18-34

Cable looks at 18-49 as well. Sometimes viewers. Just different standards of what's good.

[detective392]

Originally Posted by gamma626

Main networks look at 18-49. Viewers don't matter to them.

CW looks at women 18-34

Cable looks at 18-49 as well. Sometimes viewers. Just different standards of what's good.

OK that makes since even though it's strange they do it that way as I always thought it was total viewers that mattered more but guess I was wrong.

[eyesonfire]

I take it that's simply because of advertising. Companies advertising on the CW that intend to sell their product to women age 18-34 pay a lot of money for running their commercials during Gossip Girl for instance. If the viewership decreases in that demographic the advertisers can't be happy about it.

[detective392]

Originally Posted by eyesonfire

I take it that's simply because of advertising. Companies advertising on the CW that intend to sell their product to women age 18-34 pay a lot of money for running their commercials during Gossip Girl for instance. If the viewership decreases in that demographic the advertisers can't be happy about it.

Yeah that makes sense as I see a lot of women advertising on the CW.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by eyesonfire

I take it that's simply because of advertising. Companies advertising on the CW that intend to sell their product to women age 18-34 pay a lot of money for running their commercials during Gossip Girl for instance. If the viewership decreases in that demographic the advertisers can't be happy about it.

Yeah that's my thinking as well, a show like Vampire Diaries is geared towards women and they sure show a lot of female product commercials for hygiene, face washes, conditioners. I don't see too many beer commercials on the CW.

[primitiveskin]

Originally Posted by eyesonfire

I take it that's simply because of advertising. Companies advertising on the CW that intend to sell their product to women age 18-34 pay a lot of money for running their commercials during Gossip Girl for instance. If the viewership decreases in that demographic the advertisers can't be happy about it.

I'm fairly certain that if a network fails to deliver the targeted level of viewership by certain demographic groups that it has to "make good" with the advertiser by giving away free additional commercial airtime.