or


[05/10/15 - 09:07 AM]
Saturday's Broadcast Ratings: NBA Playoffs Put ABC 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 nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (5/9/15):

ABC (3.974 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) was the demo champ on Saturday thanks to its "NBA Countdown" (3.096 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2) and coverage of "NBA Playoffs: Golden State at Memphis" (4.150 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #1).

CBS (4.227 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) then claimed the silver with repeats of "Hawaii Five-0" (3.576 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #6) and "Criminal Minds" (3.658 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T4) plus a new "48 Hours" (5.448 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3).

Next up was NBC (2.098 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3) with encores of "The Voice" (1.951 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "Saturday Night Live" (2.394 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T4).

And finally, FOX (1.335 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3) closed out the evening with second runs of "Hell's Kitchen" (1.002 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "Bones" (1.668 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #7).

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

· "Saturday Night Live," with host Reese Witherspoon and musical guest Florence + the Machine (3.7 rating, 10 share in household results in Nielsen's 56 metered markets, 2.0/9 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with Local People Meters) matched the show's highest 18-49 rating in the Local People Meters since Jan. 31 (2.1/10 with host J.K. Simmons and musical guest D'Angelo and The Vanguard), equaling over that span the April 4 telecast (with host Michael Keaton and musical guest Carly Rae Jepsen, 2.0/9) and the March 7 edition (2.0/10 with host Chris Hemsworth and musical guest Zac Brown Band). In metered-market households, it's the top "SNL" since April 11 (3.8/10 with host Taraji P. Henson and musical guest Mumford & Sons).

· This week's "SNL" is the #1 non-sports telecast of the night on the Big 4 networks in metered-market households and adults 18-49 in the Local People Meters, ahead of all primetime entertainment programs on those networks in both measures.

· Versus the same night last year, "Saturday Night Live" is virtually matching the year-ago telecast in metered-market households (3.7/10 vss. 3.8/10 on May 10, 2014) and is up +11% in 18-49 in the Local People Meters (2.0/9 vs. 1.8/8).

· Note that "SNL" adds significant viewership via time-shifting, with originals this season growing by an average of +43% going from "live plus same day ratings" to "live plus seven day" in national adult 18-49 rating (from a 1.91 rating to a 2.74).


Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/10/14):

ABC (4.691 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) was the demo champ on Saturday with its coverage of "NBA Countdown" (3.263 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) and "NBA Playoffs: Miami at Brooklyn" (4.976 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #1).

FOX (5.151 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #2) then was the most-watched network behind "NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing" (5.151 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #2).

Next up was NBC (3.567 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) with a two-hour "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (3.912 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #6) alongside a repeat of "Saturday Night Live" (2.876 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5).

And finally, CBS (3.237 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) closed out the evening with repeats of "Mike & Molly" (2.290 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8), "The Millers" (2.138 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8), "48 Hours" (2.522 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #7) and a new "48 Hours" (4.975 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4).

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

·"Saturday Night Live," with host Charlize Theron and musical guest The Black Keys, averaged a 3.8/10 in household results in Nielsen's 56 metered markets and a 1.8/8 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with Local People Meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [may 2015]  
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
[05/05/26 - 03:52 PM]
ESPN Networks Aired Its Most Viewed First Round of the Current Rights Deal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
ESPN also delivered three of the top five matchups in the First Round including the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 1 (2.1 million viewers).

[05/05/26 - 03:36 PM]
NBC and Peacock Deliver the Most-Watched First Round Game 7 in NBA History for Saturday Night's 76ers-Celtics
Saturday night's matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 11.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.

[05/05/26 - 02:24 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Flexes Double-Digit Season-to-Date Viewership Increase
2,130,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX on Saturday, May 2, for a two-game slate highlighted by the Cardinals' 3-2 Victory over the Dodgers in most of the country.

[05/05/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 27 - The Hunt Continues as "Apex" Takes No. 1 for a Second Week
Plus: Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but "Man on Fire" served it up hot, reaching No. 1 on the English TV list with 11 million views.

[05/03/26 - 02:40 PM]
NBC Sports Delivers the Most-Watched Kentucky Derby on Record, Averaging 19.6 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock in Historic "Run for the Roses"
Viewership peaked at 24.4 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET, as jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo around the final turn to win by a neck over Renegade, and made Cherie DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.

[05/01/26 - 01:33 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Jumps Back from Spring Break with Fifth Straight Week of Growth Among Both Total Viewers and Households
Dominating the New York market, "Live with Kelly and Mark" towers over its closest competition this season by double and triple digits in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54.

[05/01/26 - 08:05 AM]
NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership on NBC & Peacock Up 58% vs. Comparable Coverage Last Year Through First 13 Games
This is the first time in 24 years that NBC Sports is presenting the NBA Playoffs.

[04/30/26 - 02:17 PM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers Sunday Morning and in Late-Night
ABC News' "Nightline" ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers (931,000) for the week of April 20.

[04/29/26 - 04:01 PM]
"American Idol" Scores 5.3 Million Total Viewers with Biggest Audience in Over 2 Months During Taylor Swift Night
Monday's episode was the No. 1 entertainment program on the night among Total Viewers (5.34 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.42 rating).

[04/29/26 - 02:41 PM]
Record Breaker! ESPN Airs Most-Viewed First Round Game 5 Ever on Cable, Extending Milestone Run of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday averaged 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year.

[04/28/26 - 03:41 PM]
TNT Sports Continues Viewership Surge for 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
Minnesota's Game 4 victory over Dallas on Saturday averaged 1.9 million viewers on TBS, truTV and HBO Max.

[04/28/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 20 - Charlize Theron Climbs to No. 1 with "Apex" in This Week's Top 10
Another warning to be careful who you trust, the psychological thriller series "Unchosen" debuted at No. 1 on the English TV list with 10.4 million views.

[04/27/26 - 01:49 PM]
Food Network's "Tournament of Champions VII" Delivers Impressive Ratings in Key Demos
On average the seventh season garnered 1.00 P25-54 / 1.26 W25-54 L3 ratings and remains on track to be Food Network's highest-rated series among P25-54 for the sixth year in a row.

[04/24/26 - 08:59 AM]
NBA Playoffs Return to NBC Sports Delivers Big Viewership Gains Over First Three Nights
NBC Sports' first six NBA Playoff games averaged 4.9 million viewers, up 38% vs. comparable coverage last year and the most-watched for the first Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights of the playoffs since 1994.

[04/23/26 - 03:13 PM]
"Euphoria" Season 3 Premiere Surpasses 20M Global Viewers, Up 68% vs. Season 2
Episode 2 matched the premiere with approximately 8.5 million U.S. viewers in its first three days.