The premiere of Pawn Stars, season 3 on Tuesday, August 31 delivered the goods in a big way, achieving the highest audience ever for a series on History Television. Airing back-to-back at 9 and 9:30pm ET/PT, the new episodes were the #1 and #2 ranked programs on Specialty television that day, garnering record-breaking audience numbers with 577,000 (2+) and 276,000 (A25-54) at 9:00pm ET/PT and a triumphant 740,000 (2+) and 393,000 (A25-54) at 9:30pm ET/PT. The 9:30pm airing marked the highest audience numbers ever for a single episode on the channel, further asserting History Television’s AMA powerhouse status and unrelenting audience growth. Delivering two times more viewers than any other program on Specialty during its timeslot (2+), the episode of Pawn Stars at 9:30 pm ET/PT also beat out Being Erica (CBC; 188,000; 9-10pm) and the finale of Shaq Vs. (CTV; 674,000; 9-10 pm), featuring tween sensation Justin Bieber.
Following Pawn Stars, the Canadian premiere of American Pickers at 10pm ET/PT was the second most-watched program of the day on Specialty television with an impressive 484,000 viewers (2+) and 273,000 in the key A25-54 demographic. This audience victory instantly placed American Pickers in the channel’s top 5-rated series of all time and is an early indication that fans will love the upcoming Canadian original series, Canadian Pickers, scheduled to air in Spring 2011 on History Television.
History Television’s Fall schedule features an incredible line-up of new and returning hit series that offer big characters and stories that bring a level of entertainment to the subject of history. The new schedule, which launched on Tuesday, August 31, features the world broadcast premieres of The Real (August 31 at 8pm)
William Shatner’s Weird or What? (Sept. 1 at 10pm), and Trashopolis (September 2 at 10pm), as well as the Canadian premieres of Ice Road Truckers, Season 4 (Sept. 1 at 9 pm) Life After People, Season 2 (September 2 at 9 pm) and the visually-stunning WWII in HD (Sept. 13 at 9pm).
Pawn Stars, Season 3 airs Tuesdays at 9 pm and 9:30pm ET/PT, followed by American Pickers at 10 pm ET/PT on History Television.
Source: BBM Canada PPM overnight data
