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[02/29/16 - 09:13 AM]
Sunday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Wins Big with "88th Annual Academy Awards"
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 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (2/28/16):

ABC (28.088 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.3, #1) was of course the network to beat on Sunday with its primetime coverage of the "Oscars Opening Ceremony: Live from the Red Carpet" (21.965 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.9, #2) and "The 88th Annual Academy Awards" (31.762 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 9.7, #1).

CBS (4.912 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T2) then was a distant second place with encores of "60 Minutes" (6.495 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), another "60 Minutes" (5.679 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5) and the feature "Last Vegas" (3.737 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10).

Next up was NBC (3.311 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T2) and its duo of "Dateline NBC" (5.611 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) and "Ted" (1.931 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10).

And finally, FOX (1.691 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T2) closed out the night with its repeat lineup of "The Simpsons" (1.786 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7), "Bob's Burgers" (1.740 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7), another "The Simpsons" (2.196 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4), "Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life" (1.345 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T12), "Family Guy" (1.688 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7) and "Bordertown" (1.391 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T12).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
N/A

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
-5.83% - The 88th Annual Academy Awards (on 2/22/15)
-6.79% - Oscars Opening Ceremony: Live from the Red Carpet (on 2/22/15)


Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/1/15):

FOX (4.078 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #1) pulled into the top demo spot on Sunday with its mix of a "The Simpsons" (2.511 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T14) repeat followed by new episodes of "Bob's Burgers" (2.979 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.4, #9), "The Simpsons" (3.973 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T4), "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (3.635 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T4), the premiere of "The Last Man on Earth" (5.702 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T1) and a second "The Last Man on Earth" (5.667 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T1).

ABC (5.705 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) then claimed the silver with fresh installments from "America's Funniest Home Videos" (4.379 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T10) and "Once Upon a Time" (6.552 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) followed by the launch of "Secrets & Lies" (5.829 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T7) and a second hour of "Secrets & Lies" (6.062 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T7).

Next up was CBS (10.362 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3) with its lineup of "60 Minutes" (13.310 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #6), "Madam Secretary" (11.417 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T10), "The Good Wife" (8.917 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and the debut of "Battle Creek" (7.805 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T14).

And finally, an encore of "The Voice" (5.115 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12) and a two-hour "Dateline NBC" (3.851 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #16) closed out the evening on NBC (4.483 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (vs. 2/15/15)
+100.00% - 60 Minutes
+63.64% - The Simpsons (vs. 2/15/15)
+55.56% - Bob's Burgers (vs. 2/15/15)
+29.41% - Once Upon a Time (vs. 12/14/14)
-7.14% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-15.38% - The Good Wife (vs. 1/11/15)
-23.53% - Madam Secretary (vs. 1/11/15)
-33.33% - Dateline NBC (vs. 1/25/15)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
N/A due to the Oscars a year ago

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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