There's some new data from Magna Global's data-cruncher Steve Sternberg that could serve as guidance for station managers pondering which off-net series to acquire in syndication.
Sternberg indexed the viewership of the original episodes of selected broadcast series in the 2004-05 season with viewership when the episode was repeated later. There are some eye-popping results in the 18-49 demo. (A score of 100 is super. A 48, which is what ER got, is not.)
On the plus side, there appears to be a reason Warner Bros. is so high on the syndication prospects for CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Its repeat index is a very respectable 81.
Another high scorer is George Lopez (80), which goes into syndication in 2007. According to Jim grabs a spectacular 98; it dives into syndication this fall. King of the Hill scores a perfect 100. That animated series, already in syndication, does solid numbers.
One sleeper on the chart is House, which also scored a 100 on Sternberg's repeat scale; no drama was close to that. Syndication rights to it were sold jointly to NBC Universal's USA and Bravo networks starting in 2008, the same time it can also start on broadcast stations.
