On January 11th, 2011 we witnessed the return of The Game. The show was cancelled by CW back in 2009 and, after two years in syndication, was eventually picked up by BET. Its return saw the show as the #1 ad-supported sitcom telecast in cable TV history. 7.7 million total viewers tuned in with a 4.87 coverage rating according to the Nielsen Company. The premier also ranks as the #2 telecast in BET history, right behind the ‘09 BET Awards where celebs paid tribute to the late and great Michael Jackson.
“We are thrilled to see our audience respond so well to THE GAME and LET’S STAY TOGETHER,” said Debra L. Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks. “It is clear these two shows are real game changers for the Network and the proven success of last night tells us that our viewers are not only passionate about the types of programming that we offer, but continue to crave on-air programming that reflects and respects our voices.”
Loretha Jones, President of Original Programming at BET Networks, said “as we look forward to our development pipeline, it’s clear scripted will continue to play an important role in our original programming slate to tell more of our stories that truly resonate with our audience.” Interestingly, much of that that audience seems to also be active in social media.
In addition to its incredible on-air performance,THE GAME had the highest amount of social media buzz of all other prime time television shows, according to Trendrr’s Prime Time Television Activity Chart for Tuesday, January 11. At one point, commenting on THE GAME Facebook page averaged 893 likes per minute, and 750 comments per minute, after the question “What did you think about tonight’s episode?” within the first 28 minutes after the post.THE GAME-related topics dominated Twitter with 9 out of the top 10 trending topics 30 minutes into the program.
That is a lot of Likes, Comments, and Tweets. One can’t help but wonder if there is some truth to this whole black people running Twitter, thing. I got hooked on The Game watching reruns and tried to keep up with #thegame on Twitter, but it was almost impossible to follow. I also noticed friends and family on Facebook asking questions about the show because they couldn’t figure out what everyone was talking about. It will be interesting to see if The Game will remain dominant in the social media space.