While Cablevision subscribers have been without the Food Network since New Year’s Day, enough people who did have access to the channel tuned in on Sunday night for Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event and Worst Cooks in America to give the network its highest rated, most watched night in Food Network history.
According to the network’s press release:
“The premieres of Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event and Worst Cooks in America combined to attract an average audience of 3.7 million total viewers 2+ and posted a 1.8 adults 25-54 rating, a 28 percent ratings increase over the previous benchmark, according to Nielsen Media Research. Among both total viewers 2+ and the target audience of adults 25-54, Food Network was the highest-rated and most watched network on cable on Sunday night with Super Chef Battle also ranking as the highest-rated program on cable.”
There was definitely a bigger interest in Super Chef Battle, as 7.6 million viewers tuned in to see it (on a total viewer 2+ basis). Worst Cooks’ series premiere took in four million viewers, dropping down some from it’s lead-in, but still holding up pretty well. Apparently, more people prefer to see good cooks cook than bad cooks cook, but there are still plenty of people out there who love a good train-wreck.
And for those of you in the New York Tri-State area who, due to Cablevision no longer carrying the Food Network, missed the Super Chef Battle, below is part of a press release that contains information on the local stations that will be airing an encore broadcast of Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event this Sunday night.
“Viewers in the New York Tri-State area will be able to see the unprecedented culinary competition Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event in a special, one-time airing on Sunday, January 10th from 8-10pm ET on WPIX-TV (New York’s Channel 11) and on WTXX-TV (Hartford’s Channel 20). The special episode, which premiered on Food Network on January 3rd, stars Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford in an unprecedented culinary competition.HGTV also is working with the WPIX and WTXX to showcase original, new programming that premiered on that network over New Year’s weekend, with those details still to be determined.”
