SAG Awards Ratings Grow, Turner Announces New 3-Year Deal

Tina Fey SAG Award - H 2013

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The Screen Actors Guild Awards continue to grow on TBS and TNT -- and in response to the positive ratings, the Turner-owned networks have signed another three-year deal to keep airing the annual kudos.

Sunday's show pulled in 5.2 million viewers across both networks, up more than 100,000 from 2012. The show boasts similar growth in the key adults 18-49 demo, rising from 2 million to 2.1 million viewers -- though still down from the 2011 demo haul of 2.2 million.

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"The SAG Awards are a perfect fit for TBS and TNT, giving us the opportunity each year to target comedy and drama fans with a star-studded night celebrating the best in television and movie acting," said Michael Wright, president and head of programming at TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. "We are thrilled that TNT and TBS will continue to be home of one of the awards season's premier events."

SAG-AFTRA national executive director David White also chimed in on the news. "The [networks'] support over the last 16 years has contributed to the tremendous popularity of our celebration of acting excellence," he said. "TNT and TBS' recognition of the SAG Awards' unique place in the industry and its wide appeal to the global home audience has helped make it one of the most important events of the awards season."

The breakdown of viewership again gave TNT a slight edge, pulling 2.95 million viewers and 1.1 million in the key demo. TBS pulled 2.29 million viewers , with nearly 1 million of them adults 18-49.

Michael O'Connell