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

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (4/24/14):

CBS (9.945 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) was the network to beat on the first night of May sweeps thanks to its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.963 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.3, #1), "The Millers" (10.148 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T2), "Two and a Half Men" (9.461 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T2), "Bad Teacher" (7.867 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #5) and "Elementary" (8.116 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #8).

FOX (5.294 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #2) then claimed the silver with originals from "Hell's Kitchen" (4.824 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #7), "American Idol" (7.600 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.8, #6) and "Surviving Jack" (3.928 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10).

Next up was ABC (5.661 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) and its lineup of "Jimmy Kimmel Live: Behind the Scandalabra" (2.753 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #15), "Grey's Anatomy" (7.644 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4) and "Black Box" (6.588 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #9).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.543 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) served up a new "Parks & Recreation" (2.846 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10), the season finale of "Parks & Recreation" (2.580 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10) and the two-hour special "Saturday Night Live Presents SNL Shorts" (2.458 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10).

And finally, fresh installments of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.792 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #14) and "Reign" (1.383 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) on The CW (1.587 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 1.1 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Reign" a 0.5 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Reign
+11.11% - Parks & Recreation
+4.17% - Two and a Half Men (vs. 4/10/14)
0.00% - Hell's Kitchen
0.00% - Surviving Jack
0.00% - The Vampire Diaries
-3.85% - The Millers (vs. 4/10/14)
-5.26% - American Idol
-5.88% - Elementary (vs. 4/10/14)
-6.52% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. 4/10/14)
-8.00% - Grey's Anatomy

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - Parks & Recreation (vs. The Office (Repeat))
+4.17% - Two and a Half Men (vs. Person of Interest)
+2.38% - The Big Bang Theory
0.00% - Reign (vs. Beauty and the Beast)
0.00% - American Idol (vs. Glee)
0.00% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Community)
-10.71% - The Millers (vs. Two and a Half Men)
-12.50% - Bad Teacher (vs. Person of Interest)
-14.81% - Grey's Anatomy
-20.00% - Elementary
-22.22% - The Vampire Diaries
-23.08% - Saturday Night Live Presents SNL Shorts (vs. Various)
-37.04% - Hell's Kitchen (vs. American Idol)
-44.44% - Surviving Jack (vs. Glee)
-46.43% - Black Box (vs. Scandal)

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

· In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.5/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.3/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.5/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.1/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/2 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.3/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/25/13):

CBS (11.876 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) kicked off the May sweeps period on top with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (14.381 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.2, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (11.027 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T2), "Person of Interest" (12.990 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6) and "Elementary" (9.935 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7).

FOX (8.172 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2) then claimed the number two spot with new episodes of "American Idol" (11.104 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T4) and "Glee" (5.239 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8).

Next up was ABC (6.433 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2) with its combination of "Wife Swap" (3.418 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11), "Grey's Anatomy" (8.122 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T4) and "Scandal" (7.760 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T2).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.452 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offered up a new "Community" (2.399 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T12) followed by a repeat of "The Office" (1.837 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T14) and fresh installments of "The Office" (3.133 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9), "Parks & Recreation" (2.541 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10) and "Hannibal" (2.401 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T12).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.150 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T14) and "Beauty and the Beast" (1.291 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) on The CW (1.720 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 1.4 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Beast" a 0.4 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+3.70% - Scandal (vs. 4/4/13)
0.00% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. 4/4/13)
0.00% - The Vampire Diaries
-4.76% - Elementary (vs. 4/4/13)
-6.90% - American Idol
-10.53% - The Office (vs. 4/11/13)
-11.11% - Person of Interest (vs. 4/4/13)
-14.29% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. 4/4/13)
-16.67% - Beauty and the Beast
-18.18% - Glee
-23.08% - Community
-23.53% - Parks & Recreation
-26.32% - Two and a Half Men (vs. 4/4/13)
-26.67% - Wife Swap
-28.57% - Hannibal

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Scandal
+25.00% - Hannibal (vs. Awake)
+12.00% - Two and a Half Men (vs. Rules of Engagement)
+5.00% - The Big Bang Theory
0.00% - Person of Interest
0.00% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. The Secret Circle)
-4.76% - Elementary (vs. The Mentalist)
-5.26% - Glee (vs. Touch)
-10.00% - The Vampire Diaries
-15.38% - Wife Swap (vs. Missing)
-15.63% - Grey's Anatomy
-18.75% - Parks & Recreation
-19.05% - The Office
-28.57% - Community
-30.77% - American Idol

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

* In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.3/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.5/7; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.2/6.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 Wednesday results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.5/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.8/4.

* From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET Wednesday night, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.3/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

* From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.2/4 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research