The TV Addict 

It doesn’t take a mind-reader like Matt Parkman to guess what actor Greg Grunberg is thinking right now. In fact, after setting the HEROES fandom all a-twitter following an innocuous tweet that left thousands wondering if this season would be their favorite shows last, we’d say the odds are fairly good that at this very moment Grunberg is wishing he could harness Hiro’s time traveling ability in order to go back in time and stop himself from pressing “send” on the tweet heard around the world.

But since he can’t, and the bastions of journalistic integrity that are the NY Post and TV Guide already decided to run with Grunberg’s tweet in an effort to create a splashy “Is HEROES Ending?” headline, we at theTVaddict.com thought we’d do the next best thing and set the record straight by proudly presenting our 5 Reasons why HEROES will live to fight another season.

Reason #1: Ratings are (Virtually) Meaningless
As enticing as it may be to write off HEROES as a commercial failure now that viewership is hovering around the 7 million mark, the reality of the situation is that ratings simply don’t mean nearly as much as they used. The internet, DVR/PVRs (according to another tweet by Mr. Grunberg, HEREOS gets a whopping “40% increase day after ratings on DVRs”) and digital downloads (where HEROES constantly finds itself among iTunes top TV show downloads) all play an integral role into calculating just how popular a show is and whether or not it will be renewed for another season.

Reason #2: International Sales
In the same way in which Hollywood studios have boosted their bottom line with overseas box office receipts, foreign sales of hit American shows have been the savior to low rated adrenaline fueled fare such as PRISON BREAK, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES and HEROES. And as Mr. Grunberg yet again was kind enough to point out via twitter, HEROES currently airs in “230 markets internationally.” Which roughly translated equates to hundreds of millions of dollars that go directly to NBC/Universal’s bottom line, and that’s not even taking into account the millions of Hiro Nakamura bobble-heads at $19.99 a pop!

Reason #3: DVD and Merchandise Sales
And speaking of Bobble-heads, one needn’t look any further than NBC’s very own store in 30 Rockefeller plaza to catch on to NBC/Universal’s ultimate money making machine: The merchandise. Be it DVDs, t-shirts, action figures and enough mobisodes, webisodoes, graphic novels, and HEROES branded microwave ovens to make Jack Donaghy proud and it doesn’t take Micah’s penchant for numbers to calculate just how valuable the HEROES franchise is when it comes to ancillary revenue.

Reason #4: NBC
And lest we forget the network itself. While 7 million viewers would most likely spell doom on a successful network like CBS or ABC. It’s more than enough to cement a fourth season renewal for a show on the once proud peacock, where HEROES remains (according to tvbythenumbers.com) the network’s sixth most popular show behind such “must see TV” gems like MEDIUM, THE BIGGEST LOSER, ER and the premiere of THE APPRENTICE: CELEBRITY EDITION.

Reason #5: TheTVaddict.com is never wrong!
As evidence by our our last three predictions that have all been spot on: The Top 6 Reasons why the WGA Strike will be resolved in time for the Oscars, Bold Fall TV Prediction #1: Michael Phelps to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and the aforementioned 5 Reasons Why TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES Will See a Second Season