Report - published October 06, 2014

Bunim/Murray Keeps it Real with Long-Running Franchises

Bunim/Murray Keeps it Real with Long-Running Franchises

Key insights from this report:

  1. Even after all of these years, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "The Real World" still score lots of viewers. "Total Divas" is one of E!'s top-three programs, as is "Project Runway" on Lifetime. "Bad Girls Club" is the highest-rated program on Oxygen and returns tomorrow. Unfortunately, the premiere season of BMP's most-recent series, the male skewing "Motor City Masters" flopped. Should they just stick to female skewing reality? What will their next big hit be?
  2. "Project Runway" is often the top-rated cable program among F 25-54 on Thursday nights. When in-season, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Bad Girls Club" are near the top of the respective timeslots as well. After consecutive poor seasons, "The Real World" found itself back on track earlier this year. BMP decided to re-format the program, bringing ex-boyfriends/girlfriends into the fray, unbeknownst to the original participants. This was the first change in format in 21 years, and the alteration appeared to pay dividends from a ratings standpoint.
  3. There is also negative news on the ratings front. "Total Divas" has seen its key demo ratings decrease from 2013 to 2014 to-date. "Project Runway" is attracting an older audience year-by-year and its ratings in the younger demos are decreasing on an annual basis. The first season of "Motor City Masters" didn't perform particularly well for Tru. "Bad Girls Club" is the network's top-rated program, but it has been losing viewership recently. "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" made a meteoric jump in viewership from 2011 to 2012. Since then, it has seen a decline each year. BMP is a titan when it comes to the reality genre, but quite frankly, they could use another hit.

Since its formation in 1987, Bunim/Murray Productions has been behind some of the most influential reality TV programs (or ‘docu-dramas’) of the past 20 years. “BMP” is the progenitor of MTV’s legendary The Real World franchise (season 30 kicks off in 2015) and the various spinoffs which Road Rules (1995-2007) and The Challenge. In addition to The Real World, the prod co has created some of the highest-rated series and most talked-about programs on cable TV: Keeping up with the Kardashians and Total Divas. They have also been behind the Kardashian spinoffs in New York and Miami, and the latest spinoff Kourtney & Khloe Take The Hamptons, which premieres next month. Other hits include Project Runway and Project Runway Allstars (Lifetime); The Ruckers: Southern Royals (WE tv); and Bad Girls Club, Bad Girls All Star Battle, Love Games and Best Ink (Oxygen). In January 2004, BMP Co-Founder Mary-Ellis Bunim passed away. The company leadership consists of Co-Founder and Chairman Jonathan Murray and President Gil Goldschein. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010, and the company has added BMP Digital and BMP Latin to its portfolio in recent years. It’s a busy time for the folks over at Bunim/Murray. Total Divas and Project Runway are currently in-season, the Kardashians are incessantly in the news, and season 13 of Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club premieres tomorrow. The season premiere coincides with Tuesday’s network rebrand. Oxygen’s changes will be analyzed more tomorrow. This is as good of a time as any to look into the ratings and trends behind BMP’s series. How have the current shows been performing as of late? How do they stack up against other primetime programs on their respective networks and the rest of the cable landscape? BMP has made it a point to target the 18-34 audience over the years, but has there been a change in median age as of late?  The data will be Live+3 viewing.

BMP Programming By The Numbers (2014 to-date)

Let’s compare the performances of BMP’s respective programs this year. P 18-34 and 18-49 will be the focus. BMP has been known to target P 18-34 with its programming, and based on its ratings its pursuit continues to be a successful one. The sole program that sees a higher rating in the P 18-49 demo than the P 18-34 is Project Runway and Proj Runway All-Stars.  In terms of total impressions, P 18-49 makes up significantly more than half of the viewership of these programs, with the exception being the Project Runway franchise. Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Project Runway and Project Runway: All Stars are easily BMP’s most-watched series this year. Even after all of these years, The Real World franchise still averaged close to 2 million total viewers per episode in season 29, ahead of the current season of E!’s Total Divas. Only two series, Oxygen’s Best Ink and Tru TV’s Motor City Masters, averaged fewer than 1 million total viewers in 2014 to-date. Tru’s Motor City is sort of a male version of Project Runway, and it was BMP’s first true foray into male skewed reality programming. The season, which wrapped up at the end of August, challenged 10 designers and fabricators to come up with a concept around a different theme each week. In addition to the title of Motor City Master, the winner earned the grand prize of $100,000 and a 2014 Camaro Z/28. Unfortunately it ended up being one of the lowest-rated primetime series on Tru this year. Perhaps BMP should stick to female-skewing reality.

BMP Series vs. Timeslot (P 18-34, P 18-49)

How has each BMP show fared against its timeslot competition? Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club was the second highest-rated program to air in Tuesday, 8pm slot in 2014 (P 18-49). #1 in the key demo was ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. BGC was #13 in the 8pm timeslot across all days of the week. VH1’s Love & Hip Hop Atlanta was #1.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians was #2 in the Sunday 9pm slot (P 18-49) in 2014 to-date. #1 was The Walking Dead. Taking over the slot for KUWTK, E!’s Total Divas is #5 overall in the Sunday, 9pm timeslot to-date (P 18-49).

Project Runway is currently airing in the Thursday 9pm timeslot, and is #3 in the key demo in 2014 to-date. Discounting CBS/NFL Network Thursday Night Football, it is generally the #1 original in the timeslot, and remains a powerhouse program in female demos. When it comes to P 18-49,  it is behind Pawn Stars and USA’s White Collar in the slot this year to-date.

Real World Ex-plosion (season 29) aired from January – April 2014. It sits in 8th among P 18-49 in the Wednesday 10pm timeslot in 2014 to-date. It was 6th in P 18-34. Other series to air at Wednesday 10pm in 2014 include American Horror Story, Duck Dynasty, sister program Teen Mom, Wahlburgers and Workaholics. Teen Mom out-performed Ex-plosion later in 2014. Speaking of sister program comparisons, let’s find out where BMP series rank versus against their network programming in primetime.

BMP Programs vs. Network Prime Program Averages (Live+3)

Sort by network, program or demo to see where a specific BMP program ranks among other primetime programs on the same network:

Originator Program P2+ Median Age P 18-34 Rtg% P 18-34 Proj (000s) P 18-49 Rtg % P 18-49 Proj (000s) F 18-49 Rtg % F 18-49 Proj (000) F 18-34 Rtg% F 18-34 Proj (000s)
MTV TEEN MOM II SSN5 28.1 3.08 2080 2.15 2733 3.41 2180 5.02 1695
MTV 2014 VMA PRESHOW 25.4 2.51 1700 1.91 2425 2.76 1769 3.96 1339
MTV TEEN MOM II SSN5B 29.1 2.33 1577 1.74 2206 2.70 1731 3.76 1274
MTV CATFISH: THE TV SHOW SSN3 26.3 2.02 1363 1.41 1791 2.07 1324 3.00 1012
MTV TEEN WOLF SSN 3B 22.2 1.82 1230 1.39 1761 1.61 1034 2.11 713
MTV TEEN WOLF SSN 4 21.8 1.55 1048 1.19 1510 1.41 903 1.84 621
MTV REAL WORLD EX-PLOSION 25.6 1.72 1163 1.15 1457 1.45 930 2.17 731
MTV TEEN MOMII SSN 5 UNSEEN 29.6 1.42 959 1.04 1316 1.65 1056 2.29 775
MTV CHALLENGE: FREE AGENTS 28.5 1.44 974 1.02 1295 1.33 849 1.88 635
MTV AWKWARD SSN 4 21.3 1.48 1000 0.93 1176 1.49 956 2.42 818
MTV 16 AND PREGNANT SSN 5 27.9 1.23 833 0.92 1173 1.51 966 2.05 692
MTV FINDING CARTER 22.5 1.25 849 0.89 1136 1.42 911 2.06 698
MTV RIDICULOUSNESS SSN4 26.8 1.07 722 0.80 1015 0.71 453 0.99 334
MTV SNOOKI & JWOWW SSN3 27.1 1.12 754 0.77 982 1.17 751 1.72 582
MTV BEING AMBER 27.7 1.10 744 0.77 973 1.21 777 1.80 608
MTV R DYRDEK FANTASY FACTRY 6 24.2 1.09 739 0.75 952 0.65 418 0.97 329
MTV 2014 MOVIE AWARDS PRESHOW 27.2 0.88 594 0.72 909 0.96 617 1.21 410
MTV BEING CATELYNN 28.1 1.04 706 0.70 889 1.15 736 1.72 582
MTV TEEN MOM II TODDLER MOMEN 27.6 1.01 684 0.68 869 1.08 694 1.57 532
MTV BEING FARRAH 27.5 0.94 639 0.66 843 1.00 643 1.46 494
MTV RIDICULOUSNESS SSN5 28.9 0.79 535 0.65 826 0.61 391 0.80 271
OXYGEN  BAD GIRLS CLUB 24.1 1.14 771 0.78 996 1.18 756 1.75 590
OXYGEN BGC ALL STAR BATTLE 23.7 0.70 471 0.47 598 0.69 442 1.07 361
OXYGEN PREACHERS OF LA 42.5 0.28 190 0.40 503 0.58 373 0.40 137
OXYGEN SISTERHOOD OF HIP HOP 28.9 0.43 293 0.35 447 0.51 327 0.66 222
OXYGEN  BEST INK 33.9 0.36 241 0.32 408 0.42 270 0.49 166
OXYGEN SNAPPED 48.2 0.17 117 0.24 309 0.34 219 0.27 90
OXYGEN TATTOOS AFTER DARK 24.6 0.32 218 0.23 294 0.34 217 0.50 167
OXYGEN SNAPPED: KILLER COUPLES 49.9 0.14 97 0.22 282 0.31 196 0.23 77
OXYGEN CELEBRITIES UNDERCOVER 30.0 0.25 166 0.20 253 0.28 179 0.36 123
OXYGEN SNAPPED: KILLER COUPLES 48.0 0.17 112 0.19 245 0.27 176 0.24 80
OXYGEN FACE, THE 44.6 0.08 54 0.09 118 0.14 92 0.13 43
OXYGEN CHASING MARIA MENOUNOS 31.0 0.11 78 0.08 107 0.12 75 0.17 59
TRUTV IMPRACTICAL JOKERS 32.1 0.85 572 0.80 1013 0.71 453 0.78 264
TRUTV FULL THROTTLE SALOON 43.6 0.58 390 0.72 911 0.59 378 0.48 162
TRUTV LIZARD LICK TOWING 40.6 0.69 465 0.71 907 0.65 418 0.69 234
TRUTV HARDCORE PAWN 48.3 0.54 366 0.60 762 0.54 346 0.46 156
TRUTV CARBONARO EFFECT, THE 34.8 0.59 398 0.57 725 0.49 316 0.54 183
TRUTV SOUTH BEACH TOW 38.2 0.56 379 0.54 692 0.52 334 0.56 189
TRUTV FUNNIEST COMMERCIALS YEAR 47.1 0.28 191 0.44 553 0.45 289 0.32 108
TRUTV OPERATION REPO 40.0 0.38 258 0.40 509 0.38 242 0.37 124
TRUTV PANIC BUTTON 32.3 0.35 234 0.34 437 0.30 195 0.34 116
TRUTV JOKERS WILD 31.0 0.41 279 0.34 430 0.28 178 0.36 122
TRUTV CONTAINER WARS 48.3 0.27 183 0.33 422 0.29 184 0.25 84
TRUTV WORLDS DUMBEST 43.0 0.23 153 0.30 375 0.24 155 0.20 69
TRUTV GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 39.7 0.22 147 0.26 327 0.24 152 0.20 68
TRUTV SAFECRACKERS 44.9 0.18 123 0.24 300 0.17 109 0.13 42
TRUTV TRUTV TOP FUNNIEST 45.2 0.19 127 0.22 281 0.20 129 0.19 66
TRUTV WAY OUT WEST 43.1 0.16 107 0.20 252 0.21 136 0.16 56
TRUTV KILLER KARAOKE 34.0 0.16 106 0.19 240 0.19 124 0.16 53
TRUTV MOTOR CITY MASTERS 36.7 0.16 108 0.18 224 0.14 87 0.14 49
TRUTV UPLOAD WITH SHAQ 31.0 0.18 120 0.16 202 0.13 85 0.14 46

Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been E!’s top show across the board in 2014, while Total Divas has been #3, right behind new series Botched. Project Runway and Project Runway:All Stars are #3 and #4 among P 18-49 behind Devious Maids and Dance Moms. They are also two of the older skewing shows on the network. Spinoff Project Runway: Under the Gunn has not performed as well for the network. Over on MTV, The Real World programming now sits behind Teen Mom and Catfish. Long-running Bad Girls Club is the #1 show on Oxygen. Best Ink doesn’t do quite as well. It sits behind Sisterhood of Hip Hop and Preachers of LA.

BMP Series Performance Over Time (2010 – Present)

The 2014 ratings and impressions are shown near the top of the report, but here is how each of the current programs has trended over recent years (since 2010). The viewing type is Live+3. Sorting by program (column B) might be the way to go:

Measurement Interval Originator Program P 18-34 Rtg% P 18-34 Proj (000s) P 18-49 Rtg % P 18-49 Proj (000s) P 2+ Proj (000s) F 18-34 Rtg% F 18-34 Proj (000s) F 18-49 Rtg % F 18-49 Proj (000s)
2010 OXYGEN BAD GIRLS CLUB 1.51 1034 1.09 1439 2111 2.36 801 1.65 1088
2011 OXYGEN BAD GIRLS CLUB 1.37 940 0.91 1194 1792 2.09 711 1.36 891
2012 OXYGEN BAD GIRLS CLUB 1.02 691 0.72 915 1491 1.57 528 1.08 692
2013 OXYGEN BAD GIRLS CLUB 1.09 741 0.77 969 1542 1.65 558 1.14 728
2014 OXYGEN BAD GIRLS CLUB 1.14 771 0.78 996 1672 1.75 590 1.18 756
2012 OXYGEN BEST INK 0.28 190 0.29 371 534 0.38 128 0.37 239
2013 OXYGEN BEST INK 0.35 234 0.29 364 563 0.47 159 0.38 245
2014 OXYGEN BEST INK 0.36 241 0.32 408 653 0.49 166 0.42 270
2011 MTV CHALLENGE: RIVALS 1.94 1334 1.32 1733 2188 2.30 785 1.57 1034
2012 MTV CHALLENGE: BATTLE OF EXES 2.21 1495 1.50 1920 2415 2.96 995 1.98 1265
2012 MTV CHALLENGE: BATTLE SEASONS 1.50 1012 1.01 1274 1572 2.16 732 1.40 899
2013 MTV CHALLENGE: RIVALS II 1.76 1189 1.24 1573 2059 2.14 725 1.53 981
2014 MTV CHALLENGE: FREE AGENTS 1.44 974 1.02 1295 1646 1.88 635 1.33 849
2010 E! KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS 0.56 386 0.45 593 889 0.82 280 0.65 429
2011 E! KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS 0.52 357 0.44 573 866 0.80 272 0.65 428
2012 E! KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS 2.46 1660 1.98 2528 3716 3.80 1278 3.01 1926
2013 E! KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS 2.26 1526 1.84 2330 3496 3.45 1168 2.76 1769
2014 E! KEEPING UP KARDASHIANS 2.18 1473 1.76 2231 3343 3.41 1154 2.69 1722
2013 E! TOTAL DIVAS 1.13 765 0.88 1120 1731 1.40 474 1.05 670
2014 E! TOTAL DIVAS 0.96 647 0.78 994 1563 1.23 416 0.98 625
2014 TRUTV MOTOR CITY MASTERS 0.16 108 0.18 224 425 0.14 49 0.14 87
2010 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY 1.69 1154 1.80 2364 4174 2.61 888 2.74 1809
2011 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY 1.38 943 1.63 2113 3986 2.24 759 2.47 1605
2012 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY 1.03 700 1.29 1645 3171 1.70 573 1.96 1256
2013 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY 0.78 529 1.04 1313 2929 1.21 409 1.53 976
2014 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY 0.73 493 0.94 1193 2824 1.17 396 1.39 891
2012 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS 0.80 538 1.00 1275 2574 1.28 429 1.47 940
2013 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS 0.61 416 0.86 1083 2350 0.97 328 1.24 794
2014 LIFETIME PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS 0.58 392 0.85 1083 2727 0.92 312 1.29 824
2010 MTV REAL WORLD XXIII 1.54 1052 0.94 1237 1696 1.87 634 1.11 734
2010 MTV REAL WORLD XXIV 1.94 1324 1.22 1603 2169 2.42 822 1.48 979
2011 MTV REAL WORLD XXV 2.27 1556 1.44 1888 2422 2.86 978 1.78 1175
2011 MTV REAL WORLD XXVI 2.30 1555 1.44 1842 2310 3.25 1089 1.95 1248
2012 MTV REAL WORLD XXVII 1.18 797 0.84 1072 1487 1.68 564 1.16 743
2013 MTV REAL WORLD XXVIII 1.21 816 0.87 1106 1446 1.50 509 1.06 681
2014 MTV REAL WORLD EX-PLOSION 1.72 1163 1.15 1457 1863 2.17 731 1.45 930

In sum, it’s might be time for Bunim/Murray Productions to produce another hit. Total Divas has seen its ratings decrease from 2013 to 2014 to-date. Project Runway is seeing an older audience year-by-year and its ratings in the younger demos are decreasing on an annual basis. The first season of Motor City Masters didn’t perform particularly well for Tru. Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club is the network’s top-rated program, but it has been struggling recently. Keeping Up with the Kardashians made a meteoric jump in viewership from 2011 to 2012. Since then, it has seen ratings declines each year. That said, it remains a force in its timeslot and still grabbed a 2.2 average rating in the P 18-34 demo.

Even though Best Ink has been a middle-of-the-pack show for Oxygen, it has garnered an increase in viewership each of the past three years.

While many BMP shows may be struggling right now, the flagship seems to be back on track. The Real World series has seen a significant bump in viewership this season (29) after back-to-back mediocre seasons. There was a consistent increase from season 23 – 26. Season 27 brought a decrease in ratings (perhaps setting the show in the Virgin Islands as opposed to an American city was a turn off). This season of The Real World brought a change in format for the first time in 21 years. This edition is named “Ex-explosion.” Set back in San Francisco, the roommates moved into their San Francisco home, made relationships with one another and locals. A month in, their exes have moved in as well as additional roommates. The exes were each misled by producers to believing that he or she would be a replacement roommate, unaware the other exes would be moving in as well until move-in day. Apparently the move has worked. Ratings are up. Kudos to BMP for this idea! But is that enough? This franchise won’t last forever…

 

 

 

 

 

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Other reports on the key networks in this report: E!, MTV, Oxygen

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