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SAG Awards to Remain on TBS, TNT Through 2016

Related: Screen Actors Guild Awards, SAG, TNT, TBS

Last night's live simulcast of the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on TNT and TBS drew a total of 5.2 million viewers, including more than 2.1 million adults 18-49, a +5% boost in that key demographic compared to last year. The show's strong performance comes as TNT and TBS announce a new three-year deal with SAG-AFTRA for the SAG Awards.

"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, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "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 agreed that the partnership has been positive and has delivered significant benefits. "We are pleased to once again partner with TNT and TBS on the simulcast of the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Their support over the last 16 years has contributed to the tremendous popularity of our celebration of acting excellence," White 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."

TNT drew a total of 2,952,000 viewers and 1,109,000 adults 18-49 for its part of the SAG Awards simulcast, while TBS garnered 2,295,000 viewers and 999,000 adults 18-49. In addition to the simulcast's growth among adults 18-49, total viewership was up 2% compared to last year. The networks also scored growth in their respective target demos, with TNT's delivery of adults 25-54 up 11% (1,242,000) and TBS's delivery of adults 18-34 up 12% (537,000).

The SAG Awards was a big winner in social media, as well. On Twitter, #SAGAwards ranked as the top trending topic throughout the live simulcast, as well as during TNT's 10 p.m. (ET) encore. The SAG Awards continued to be among the Top 10 topics on Twitter well into the day on Monday and experienced significant growth in its Facebook, Google+ and Instagram followers in the weeks leading up to the ceremony.

Of the top industry honors presented to performers, only the SAG Awards are conferred solely by actors' peers in theScreen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Recording Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The SAG Awards was the first televised awards show created by a union to acknowledge the work of actors and the first to establish ensemble and cast awards. The presentation of this year's SAG Awards marked the 16th telecast of this prestigious industry event on TNT and the seventh simulcast on TBS. This year's ceremony was telecast internationally, as well as to U.S. military installations overseas through the American Forces Network Broadcast Center.

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA were produced by Jeff Margolis Productions in association with Screen Actors Guild Awards, LLC. Jeff Margolis is executive producer of the event, with Kathy Connell as producer.