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[06/26/20 - 08:11 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Originals Remain on Top
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 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (6/25/20):

ABC (3.603 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) was once again Thursday's top draw with its trio of "Holey Moley" (3.929 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T1), "Don't" (3.478 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T1) and "To Tell the Truth" (3.403 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T3).

CBS (3.431 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #2) remained the silver draw with its mix of "Young Sheldon" (4.794 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T3), "The Unicorn" (3.352 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6), "Mom" (3.652 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5), the finale of "Broke" (3.560 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6) and "SWAT" (2.613 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T10).

Next up was NBC (2.306 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T3) with originals from "Council of Dads" (2.967 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6) and "Blindspot" (1.891 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T10) plus a repeat "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.059 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.171 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T3) offered up new episodes of "Celebrity Watch Party" (1.403 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T10) and "Labor of Love" (0.938 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #13).

And finally, The CW (0.513 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with fresh installments from "Burden of Truth" (0.592 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T14) and "In the Dark" (0.434 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T14).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Council of Dads
+20.00% - To Tell the Truth
+16.67% - Don't
0.00% - Holey Moley
0.00% - Blindspot
0.00% - Burden of Truth
0.00% - In the Dark
-20.00% - Broke
-25.00% - Celebrity Watch Party
-33.33% - Labor of Love

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - To Tell the Truth (vs. Reef Break)
+16.67% - Don't (vs. Family Food Fight)
-20.00% - Broke (vs. Life in Pieces)
-22.22% - Holey Moley
-50.00% - Burden of Truth (vs. iZombie)
-50.00% - In the Dark
-57.14% - Celebrity Watch Party (vs. MasterChef)
-66.67% - Labor of Love (vs. Spin the Wheel)
-77.78% - Council of Dads (vs. NBC News Democratic Candidates Debate)
-83.33% - Blindspot (vs. NBC News Democratic Candidates Debate)


Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (6/27/19):

NBC (7.327 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) got another bump on Thursday thanks to its second night of the "NBC News Democratic Candidates Debate" (8.827 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.8, #1). A repeat of "The Wall" (4.328 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) opened the night for the Peacock.

FOX (2.716 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #2) then was the number two draw with fresh installments of "MasterChef" (2.893 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4) and "Spin the Wheel" (2.538 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5).

Next up was ABC (2.925 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) and week two of "Holey Moley" (4.263 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2), "Family Food Fight" (2.525 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5) and "Reef Break" (1.985 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #12).

Meanwhile, CBS (3.698 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) offered up repeats of "Young Sheldon" (4.497 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T8), another "Young Sheldon" (4.305 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T8) plus the penultimate "Life in Pieces" (3.770 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5), the finale to "Life in Pieces" (3.363 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T8) and a new "Elementary" (3.127 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11).

And finally, The CW (0.639 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5) closed out the night with a new "iZombie" (0.665 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T13) and the season finale of "In the Dark" (0.612 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T13).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - MasterChef
0.00% - Life in Pieces - 9:00
0.00% - Family Food Fight
0.00% - Life in Pieces - 9:30
0.00% - Elementary
0.00% - iZombie
0.00% - In the Dark
-10.00% - Holey Moley
-25.00% - Spin the Wheel
-40.00% - Reef Break

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+227.27% - NBC News Democratic Candidates Debate (vs. Various)
+100.00% - In the Dark (vs. Black Lightning (Repeat))
+80.00% - Holey Moley (vs. The Gong Show)
0.00% - MasterChef (vs. The Four: Battle for Stardom)
0.00% - iZombie (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
-14.29% - Family Food Fight (vs. Match Game)
-25.00% - Spin the Wheel (vs. The Four: Battle for Stardom)
-33.33% - Elementary (vs. SWAT (Repeat))
-40.00% - Reef Break (vs. Take Two)
-53.85% - Life in Pieces - 9:00 (vs. Big Brother 20)
-61.54% - Life in Pieces - 9:30 (vs. Big Brother 20)

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

· On a night of live telecasts, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has outscored "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" by a margin of +37% in adults 18-49 (with a 0.52 rating vs. a 0.38), and by +32% in the key news demographic of adults 25-54 (0.78 vs. 0.59). In total viewers, Thursday results were: "Late Show," 3.060 million, "Tonight," 2.425 million.

· On the prior night, "Tonight" prevailed by margins of +13% in 18-49 (0.36 vs. 0.32 for "Late Show") and by +14% in 25-54 (0.56 vs. 0.49).

· Thursday's "Tonight Show" grew +44% versus the previous night's live telecast in 18-49 (with a 0.52 rating Thursday vs. a 0.36 on Wednesday) and +17% in total viewers (2.425 million vs. 2.066 million).

· "Late Night with Seth Meyers" increased by +20% versus the previous night's live telecast in 18-49 (0.30 vs. a 0.25) and +13% in total viewers (1.448 million vs. 1.279 million).

· It's the highest-rated and most-watched Thursday telecast of "Tonight" since Dec. 20, 2018 (with guests Felicity Jones, Jimmy Carr and musical guest Bebe Rexha, 0.53 in 18-49, 2.456 million viewers).

· For "Late Night," the 0.30 equals the show's highest Thursday rating since Feb. 7 (0.31) and the 1.448 million viewers overall is the show's best for a non-NFL Thursday since March 15, 2018.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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