or


[03/29/20 - 10:02 AM]
Saturday's Broadcast Ratings: "48 Hours" Tops Low Key Night in Viewers, Demos
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

Primetime Preliminary Fast National Nielsen Data
(includes all DVR playback through 3:00 am)

Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (3/28/20):

ABC (2.685 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #1) was the demo champ on a modest Saturday with encores of "Shark Tank" (3.027 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) and "American Idol" (2.514 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1).

CBS (3.281 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) was the most-watched network its with mix of "NCIS: Los Angeles" (3.461 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6), "SEAL Team" (2.881 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6) and "48 Hours" (3.502 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1).

Next up was NBC (1.998 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) with encores of the "Trolls" (1.919 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) movie and "SNL Vintage" (2.157 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1).

And finally, rebroadcasts of "LEGO Masters" (0.961 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6) and "9-1-1" (1.291 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #9) closed out the night on FOX (1.126 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

· A March 28 encore edition of "Saturday Night Live," with host Scarlett Johansson and musical guest Niall Horan, has averaged a 2.5 rating in "live plus same day" household results from 44 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 0.9 rating in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· Versus primetime programming on the Big 4 networks Saturday night, the "SNL" rebroadcast is the #1 show of the night in both metered-market households and in 18-49 in the local people meters.

· Note that current metered-market results are not compatible with data issued before Oct. 5 due to changes in Nielsen methodology.


Here are the highlights of the 10 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/30/19):

NBC (3.050 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #1) claimed the top spot on Saturday with its mix of "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (3.068 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2), another "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (3.530 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1) and a vintage "Saturday Night Live" (2.552 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2).

ABC (2.211 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T2) then was the silver draw with second runs of "American Idol" (2.155 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4) and "20/20 Saturday" (2.323 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4).

Next up was CBS (2.015 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T2) with a new "Ransom" (2.098 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4), a rebroadcast of "Million Dollar Mile" (1.340 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4) and a "48 Hours" (2.607 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4).

And finally, FOX (1.070 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T2) closed out the evening with repeats of "MasterChef Junior" (1.014 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4) and "9-1-1" (1.125 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.2, #10).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

· The March 30 telecast of "Saturday Night Live," with host Sandra Oh and musical guest Tame Impala, averaged a 4.1 rating, 10 share in "live plus same day" household results from the 56 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 1.5/8 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· The March 30 "Saturday Night Live" ranks as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in both metered-market households and 18-49 in the local people meters, easily topping all primetime shows on those nets. In fact, in 18-49 in the local people meters, "SNL" topped all but five primetime entertainment programs on the Big 4 so far this week.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [august 2026]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[08/26/26 - 08:00 AM]
Fever-Sky on "Sunday Night Basketball" on NBC and Peacock Is the Most-Watched WNBA Regular-Season Game Since Opening Weekend of League's Inaugural 1997 Season
The game peaked at 3.82 million viewers.

[08/25/26 - 03:10 PM]
ESPN Delivered Its Second Most-Watched MLB Little League Classic Ever!
The audience peaked at 2.2 million viewers during the 9:45 p.m. ET quarter-hour.

[08/25/26 - 03:03 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Stays Hot with 3,079,000 Viewers, Most-Watched MLB Telecast of the Week on Any Network
The network's coverage reached a peak audience of 3,779,000 viewers from 9:45 - 10 PM ET.

[08/25/26 - 02:20 PM]
FOX Sports Scores Landslide Win with Freedom 250
Coverage reached a peak viewership of 3,482,000 viewers from 2:30-2:45 PM ET.

[08/25/26 - 12:58 PM]
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Dominates During Show's Summer Run - Jumping Over Last Year's Average by +9%
The series also stands as Wednesday's No. 1 primetime program among Total Viewers in each of its five weeks.

[08/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 17 - "Outer Banks" Strikes Gold at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"My Brilliant Career" traversed the Australian bush to land at No. 2 on the English TV list with 4.7 million views.

[08/21/26 - 01:01 PM]
ABC News Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers Across Friday Night and Late-Night
"20/20" turned in double-digit gains year to year in all key target demos.

[08/20/26 - 02:11 PM]
"Lanterns" Debuts Among HBO Max's Biggest Series Premieres with 9.3M Global Viewers
The light shines bright.

[08/19/26 - 12:01 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of August 10
"Reacher," "Sterling Point," "Off Campus," "The Traitors," and "Elle" led all original series worldwide.

[08/19/26 - 10:02 AM]
2026 Little League Baseball Region Tournaments Deliver Largest Audience Since 2009
The Metro Region Championship matchup between Darien, Conn., and Bayonne, N.J., on August 14 averaged 1.2 million viewers, making it the third most-watched Little League Baseball Region Tournament game ever.

[08/19/26 - 09:31 AM]
For Third Week in a Row, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Is the No. 1 Primetime Entertainment Program Among Total Viewers
Scoring a new season high among Total Viewers (4.41 million), the August 12 episode earned the show's best performance in over a year.

[08/18/26 - 03:05 PM]
ESPN Delivers Its Most-Watched WNBA Game Ever!
The Atlanta Dream-Indiana Fever matchup averaged 2.6 million viewers on Sunday, August 16.

[08/18/26 - 03:04 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Sizzles with Most-Watched MLB Telecast of the Week on Any Network
3,083,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX for a three-game slate highlighted by the Brewers' 4-1 win over the Dodgers in most of the country.

[08/18/26 - 02:43 PM]
FOX IndyCar Celebrates Viewership Win at Markham
913,000 viewers watched Andretti Global racer Marcus Ericsson cap a late-race run through the field to score the win at Markham Sunday on FOX.

[08/18/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 10 - "My Life with the Walter Boys" Lassos No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes" launched in the No. 2 spot on the English TV list, gathering 4.9 million views.