Court TV Gets Big Bounce From Alex Murdaugh Verdict

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Viewership jumps 600% when guilty decision rendered

Court TV Murdaugh Verdict
The Murdaugh verdict on Court TV (Image credit: Court TV)

Another high-profile trial yielded big viewership numbers for Court TV.

During the six-week Alex Murdaugh murder trial, the E.W. Scripps-owned network said its viewership nearly tripled, compared to the network’s pre-trial average.

When the guilty verdict was rendered, viewership soared 600%. 

The viewership was the highest since the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial last year.

On the digital front, the Murdaugh trial set a Court TV record with 4.8 million hours of viewing. Streaming of the trial increased 349%, nearly double that of the Depp-Heard trial. 

Murdaugh was found guilty in the 2021 death of his wife and son. ■

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.