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 (4/23/15):

CBS (9.405 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T1) kicked off May sweeps as the most-watched network thanks to new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (14.403 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1), "The Odd Couple" (9.471 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4), "Mom" (9.042 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #5), a repeat "The Big Bang Theory" (8.258 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #6) and a new "Elementary" (7.629 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #8).

ABC (7.115 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T1) however shared in the demo honors with fresh installments from "Grey's Anatomy" (9.432 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2), "Scandal" (7.770 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) and "American Crime" (4.141 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10).

Next up was NBC (5.480 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) with a repeat "The Blacklist" (3.439 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #14) followed by originals from "The Blacklist" (7.232 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #7) and "Dateline NBC" (5.770 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10).

Meanwhile, FOX (3.781 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) served up new episodes of "Bones" (4.557 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #9) and "Backstrom" (3.004 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.390 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #13) and "Reign" (0.841 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) on The CW (1.116 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the former delivered a 0.8 rating at 8:00/7:00c and the latter a 0.4 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Grey's Anatomy
+14.29% - Backstrom
0.00% - Bones
0.00% - The Vampire Diaries
-4.17% - Scandal
-5.41% - The Big Bang Theory
-7.14% - Elementary
-9.09% - The Odd Couple
-12.50% - The Blacklist (vs. 4/2/15)
-13.64% - Mom
-18.18% - Dateline NBC
-18.18% - American Crime
-25.00% - Reign

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+366.67% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Jimmy Kimmel Live: Behind the Scandalabra)
+40.00% - The Blacklist (vs. Saturday Night Live Presents SNL Shorts)
0.00% - Scandal (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
-10.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. Saturday Night Live Presents SNL Shorts)
-14.29% - The Vampire Diaries
-18.60% - The Big Bang Theory
-18.75% - Elementary
-20.00% - The Odd Couple (vs. The Millers)
-24.00% - Mom (vs. Black Box)
-40.00% - American Crime (vs. Black Box)
-40.00% - Reign
-41.18% - Bones (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
-42.86% - Backstrom (vs. American Idol/Surviving Jack)

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," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.2/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.1/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.4/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.4/5 in metered-market households and a 0.5/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with James Corden" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/2).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 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 (4/24/14):

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.

Source: Nielsen Media Research