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 (3/3/16):

FOX (8.678 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.9, #1) held off the competition on Thursday with a new "American Idol" (8.742 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T2) and a second "American Idol" (8.615 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T2).

ABC (6.000 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2) then claimed the silver with a new "Grey's Anatomy" (7.670 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #1), the premiere of "The Family" (5.739 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #8) and a new "How to Get Away with Murder" (4.591 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.4, #9).

Next up was CBS (7.463 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with a repeat "The Big Bang Theory" (10.010 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T2) followed by originals from "Life in Pieces" (8.432 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #5), "Mom" (8.003 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6), "2 Broke Girls" (6.711 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6) and "Elementary" (5.810 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #10).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.078 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T4) offered up a new "You, Me and the Apocalypse" (2.341 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13), an encore "Blindspot" (2.167 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) and a new "Shades of Blue" (4.728 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11).

And finally, originals from "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" (2.286 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #12) and "The 100" (1.416 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13) on The CW (1.851 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T4) closed out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+4.76% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - 2 Broke Girls
0.00% - Elementary
0.00% - Shades of Blue
0.00% - DC's Legends of Tomorrow
-5.00% - American Idol - 8:00
-5.56% - Mom
-6.67% - How to Get Away with Murder
-9.52% - American Idol - 9:00
-16.67% - You, Me and the Apocalypse
-16.67% - The 100
-18.18% - Life in Pieces

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+350.00% - DC's Legends of Tomorrow (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
+150.00% - The 100 (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
+90.00% - American Idol - 9:00 (vs. Backstrom)
+25.00% - Shades of Blue (vs. Allegiance)
-8.33% - Grey's Anatomy
-9.52% - American Idol - 8:00
-15.38% - Elementary
-22.73% - 2 Broke Girls (vs. Mom)
-29.17% - Mom (vs. The Big Bang Theory (Repeat))
-30.00% - How to Get Away with Murder (vs. American Crime)
-37.50% - You, Me and the Apocalypse (vs. The Slap)
-40.00% - Life in Pieces (vs. The Odd Couple)
-50.00% - The Family (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; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 1.7/4; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.8/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.4/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, 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 Seth Meyers" (1.2/4 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show" (0.8/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/1).

· 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.

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/5/15):

CBS (10.900 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T1) was the most-watched network on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (17.877 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1), "The Odd Couple" (12.474 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2), a repeat "The Big Bang Theory" (10.475 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T4), "Mom" (9.545 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #6) and "Elementary" (7.516 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10).

ABC (8.690 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T1) however shared in the top demo honors with new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (8.081 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T4), "Scandal" (9.569 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2) and the premiere of "American Crime" (8.418 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #8).

Next up was FOX (6.632 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with fresh installments of "American Idol" (9.336 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7) and "Backstrom" (3.928 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.077 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) served up originals from "The Slap" (3.867 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T12), "The Blacklist" (8.002 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9) and "Allegiance" (3.362 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T12).

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (0.704 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T14) and "Supernatural" (0.604 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T14) closed out the evening on The CW (0.654 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 0.2 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Supernatural" a 0.2 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+14.29% - The Slap
+11.11% - Backstrom
+9.09% - Grey's Anatomy
+7.14% - The Odd Couple
+4.76% - Mom
+4.44% - The Big Bang Theory
0.00% - American Idol
0.00% - Allegiance
-5.56% - The Blacklist
-6.25% - Scandal (vs. 2/19/15)
-13.33% - Elementary (vs. 2/19/15)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+200.00% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland)
+54.55% - The Blacklist (vs. Hollywood Game Night)
+29.41% - Mom (vs. The Crazy Ones)
+25.00% - Backstrom (vs. Rake)
+15.38% - Scandal (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
0.00% - The Odd Couple (vs. The Millers)
-4.55% - American Idol
-9.62% - The Big Bang Theory
-23.53% - Elementary
-27.27% - The Slap (vs. Community/Parks & Recreation)
-28.57% - American Crime (vs. Scandal)
-33.33% - Allegiance (vs. Parenthood)

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," 2.1/6 with an encore; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.5/7.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 1.0/5; "Late Show," 0.5/2 with an encore; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.0/5.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.7/5 in metered-market households and a 0.7/4 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.2/4 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 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 0.2/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research