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LIZ & DICK, STEEL MAGNOLIAS Boost Lifetime's Year-to-Year Ratings Growth

Related: LIZ & DICK, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Lifetime

As a result of its aggressive triple threat programming strategy doubling its amount of original programming spanning scripted dramas, reality series and movies, coupled with a major re-brand, Lifetime is set to post its strongest year-on-year growth among the key demographics in 10+ years, while also reaching its youngest median age in 16 years, according to Nielsen Research.

Powered by the popular dramas The Client List, Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva; the unscripted hits Dance Moms, Emmy(R) Award-nominated Project Runway, Project Runway All Stars and America's Supernanny; and smash movies Steel Magnolias, Liz & Dick, Drew Peterson: Untouchable and Abducted: The Carlina White Story, Lifetime is anticipated to jump +4% among Total Viewers in 2012 vs. 2011, its strongest growth in seven years; +15% with Women 18-49, its strongest in 14 years; +9% in both Adults 18-49 and Women 25-54, a network best in 11 and 10 years, respectively; and +4% in Adults 25-54, Lifetime's best year-to-year jump in a decade.

Throughout the year, Lifetime generated four consecutive quarters of growth for Women 25-54, Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49, marking its longest growth streak in at least 10 years and making the network the only top 20 ad-supported cable network to have +1% growth or more all four quarters of 2012.

In addition, Lifetime posted significant jumps in rankings among the key demos, climbing three spots or more in their competitive rank and surpassing a number of other female-focused and general entertainment networks, returning to the top five among Women 25-54 this year for the first time since 2010, jumping to #5 from #9 in 2011. In Women 18-49, Lifetime ranked #6 (vs. #12), making it the second fastest-growing cable network in the demo among the top ten networks and one of only two top ten cable networks to experience year-on-year growth. Among Adults 25-54, it ranked #14 (vs. #17). Lifetime is also the second fastest growing network among the top 20 cable nets with Adults 18-49, ranking #17 (vs. #22).

Lifetime's median age of 48 for 2012 is three years younger than 2011 and its youngest median age in 16 years, since 1996.

"Lifetime had an amazing year on so many levels," said Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President, Programming, of Lifetime Networks. "We've aggressively ramped up our original unscripted series, scripted dramas, and movies, and successfully rebranded Lifetime to reflect a more aspirational tone and bolder spirit. All of this has resulted in the audience growth and younger viewership that we've been strategically targeting."

Lifetime's 2012 highlights include:

· Lifetime is the number one cable network for original movies among Adults 25-54, Women 25-54, Adults and Women (excluding miniseries).

· Lifetime has the top four original movie premieres with Women 25-54 across cable and four of the top five original movie premieres with Adults 25-54, Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49 -- Steel Magnolias, Drew Peterson: Untouchable, Abducted: The Carlina White Story and Liz & Dick.

· Steel Magnolias (6.5 million Total Viewers) and Drew Peterson: Untouchable (5.8 million Total Viewers) were the top two cable movie telecasts of the year among Total Viewers, as well as Adults 25-54, Women 25-54, Adults 18+ and Women 18+ (excluding miniseries and movies
· Steel Magnolias premiered with 6.5 million Total Viewers to become Lifetime's third most-watched telecast ever. Also, it was the number one movie across ad-supported cable networks with Total Viewers since 2007, with Adults 25-54 since 2006 and with Women 25-54 since 2004 (excluding miniseries). Steel Magnolias was Lifetime's best original movie ever with Women 25-54, since 2006 with Total Viewers and since 1995 with Adults 25-54.

· Dance Moms season two was the number one unscripted cable series in its Tuesday 9-10pm time period among Women 18-49 and Women 2+. Season two over-delivered season one by +69% with Adults 18-49, +72% Women 18-49, +64% with Adults 25-54 and +66% with Women 25-54. It is Lifetime's youngest skewing current series with a season two median age of 32 years old, five years younger than season one.

· Project Runway season 10 propelled Lifetime to be the number one cable network in its Thursday 9-10:30pm time period among Women 25-54.

· Project Runway All Stars, Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and The Houstons: On Our Own each over-delivered the network's prime average among Adults 25-54.

· Project Runway All Stars seasons one and two (+86% vs. prime avg).

· Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition (+16%).

· The Houstons: On Our Own (+9%).

· America's Supernanny over-delivered its Tuesday 10pm time period norm among Adults 25-54 by +40%.

· The Client List delivered Lifetime's strongest freshman season for an original series since Drop Dead Diva in 2009 among Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54. Among Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49, it was the best freshman season since Army Wives premiered in 2007. The Client List propelled Lifetime to number one in the Sunday 10-11pm hour among Women 18+.

· Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva launched Lifetime to the number one cable network in their Sundays 9-11pm time period among Women 25-54.

· America's Most Wanted has improved the Friday 9-10pm daypart by +42% with Adults 25-54, +21% with Women 25-54, +38% with Adults 18-49, +19% with Women 18-49 and +36% with Total Viewers.

Lifetime's sister network LMN, the number one network in 85 million or less homes among Women, also posted year-on-year growth among multiple demos, including a +4% jump in Total Viewers, the network's best growth in three years; +4% among Women 25-54, the network's first year of growth in two years and its second best year ever in the demo; and an increase of +3% in Adults 25-54, a network best in three years, LMN's third best year ever among Adults 25-54.

Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television(R), LMN(R), Lifetime Real Women(R) and Lifetime Digital(TM) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.