By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — The ongoing writers and actors strikes have essentially shut down Hollywood production for scripted television shows and films other than a handful of independents. With little to watch on the broadcast networks except reruns, MTV has taken advantage of this lull to enjoy some of its biggest audiences and highest ratings in several years. According to the Shadow and Act website, Black-oriented reality shows have helped turned Tuesday night into a highly profitable one for the new network.
“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” and “Caught in the Act: Unfaithful” have brought MTV its highest total day ratings since December 2022, and its best share since July 2022. Overall, “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” scored season highs, the show’s best rating since last October and the highest share since last August. It was the number one telecast of the day across all cable in key demos (P18-49, W18-49, P18-34, W18-34). It outperformed season-to-date, up 24% on rating and 26% on share. The show also became the number one most social primetime cable program with 64,000 interactions, up +94% vs. the prior week.
Meanwhile, “Caught in the Act: Unfaithful” earned its second-highest rating among its demographic over the show’s two seasons, and it also earned its highest share. It outperformed the season premiere by 36 percent on rating and 42 percent on share. The series grew over eight percent on its live rating compared to its “Love & Hip Hop” lead-in.
“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta‘s” season on MTV is a reboot from its time on VH1. The season is focusing less on drama and focus more on “the aspirational lives of the elite boss women who have built their empires in Atlanta.” The series follows a more documentary style to storytelling, “focusing on the nuances of what it takes for these women to juggle their careers, relationships, aspirations, as well as the posh parties and celebrations which bring them all together.” Tami Roman hosts “Caught in the Act: Unfaithful.” Roman helps people who want to catch their suspicious partners cheating. After the investigation is over, the victim can choose “to team up with their partner’s other lover or take them both down in an undercover ambush.”
