MUMBAI: US broadcaster Discovery has announced that it managed to achieve double-digit ratings gains in households and average primetime audience in both the second quarter of 2006 and June 2006.

For the quarter, Discovery garnered a year-over-year primetime household ratings increase of 13 per cent (0.9) and the network delivered an average primetime audience of 1,143,000 viewers (P2+), also representing a 13 per cent increase over the year-ago timeslot average.

The performance was helped by the return of the show Deadliest Catch, averaging nearly 2.6 million viewers over its second-season run. Mythbusters averaged 1.3 million viewers P2+. New shows Perfect Disaster and Future Weapons also contributed to the ratings gains.

The debut of Egypt's New Tomb Revealed on 4 June and Krakatoa: Volcano Od Destruction on 11 June each logged significant increases in households (1.8 household rating; Egypt; 1.8 household rating, Krakatoa) and total viewers (2.3 million P2+ each for the two shows.)