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

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (7/21/16):

CBS (4.922 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.2, #1) took home top honors on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (6.576 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2), "Life in Pieces" (4.964 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3), "Big Brother 18" (5.609 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) and "CBS News Special" (3.386 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T8).

NBC (3.520 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2) then was the number two draw with a new "Spartan: Ultimate Team Competition" (3.221 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), the season finale of "Spartan: Ultimate Team Competition" (3.316 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) and "NBC News Special" (4.023 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3).

Next up was ABC (3.091 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) with its trio of "BattleBots" (3.141 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T8), "Greatest Hits" (2.889 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T8) and "ABC News Special" (3.242 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T8).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.741 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up the season finale of "Bones" (3.793 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) and a new "Home Free" (1.689 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.4, #12).

And finally, The CW (0.761 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5) closed out the evening with a second run "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" (0.777 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T13) and a new "Beauty and the Beast" (0.746 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T13).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - Spartan: Ultimate Team Competition
0.00% - Bones
0.00% - Beauty and the Beast
-10.53% - Big Brother 18
-20.00% - Home Free
-22.22% - BattleBots (vs. 7/7/16)
-22.22% - Greatest Hits

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. Dates)
+33.33% - Bones (vs. Boom!)
+16.67% - BattleBots (vs. The Astronaut Wives Club)
0.00% - Spartan: Ultimate Team Competition - 9:00 (vs. Dateline NBC)
0.00% - Greatest Hits (vs. Mistresses)
0.00% - Spartan: Ultimate Team Competition - 8:00 (vs. Food Fighters)
-5.56% - Big Brother 18
-66.67% - Home Free (vs. Wayward Pines)

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

TBA

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (7/23/15):

CBS (5.649 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.4, #1) was the network to beat on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (7.329 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #2), "Mom" (5.715 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T3), "Big Brother 17" (5.786 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #1) and "Under the Dome" (4.637 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5).

NBC (4.620 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T2) then claimed the silver with originals from "Food Fighters" (3.473 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7) and "Dateline NBC" (5.194 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5).

Next up was FOX (3.032 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T2) with a new "Boom!" (2.157 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10) followed by the season finale of "Wayward Pines" (3.906 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T3).

Meanwhile, ABC (3.505 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4) offered up its trio of "The Astronaut Wives Club" (3.833 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10), "Mistresses" (2.912 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #9) and "Rookie Blue" (3.770 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7).

And finally, new episodes of "Beauty and the Beast" (0.985 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.2, #12), "Dates" (0.571 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13) and another "Dates" (0.519 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13) on The CW (0.765 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), said trio posted a 0.3, 0.2 and a 0.2 rating, respectively.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Wayward Pines
+14.29% - Rookie Blue
+11.11% - Under the Dome
0.00% - Dates - 9:00
0.00% - Dates - 9:30
-9.09% - Dateline NBC
-10.00% - Big Brother 17
-11.11% - Food Fighters
-12.50% - Mistresses
-14.29% - Boom!
-33.33% - Beauty and the Beast
-40.00% - The Astronaut Wives Club

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
+50.00% - Wayward Pines (vs. Gang Related)
+42.86% - Under the Dome (vs. Elementary (Repeat))
+11.11% - Dateline NBC (vs. Various)
0.00% - Dates - 9:00 (vs. The Originals (Repeat))
0.00% - Dates - 9:30 (vs. The Originals (Repeat))
0.00% - Mistresses (vs. Black Box)
-11.11% - Rookie Blue (vs. NY Med)
-14.29% - The Astronaut Wives Club (vs. Black Box)
-14.29% - Big Brother 17
-27.27% - Food Fighters (vs. Hollywood Game Night)
-64.71% - Boom! (vs. Hell's Kitchen)

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," 2.9/8; "CBS Summer Showcase," 1.6/4 with an encore; 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," 0.9/5; "CBS Summer Showcase," 0.3/1 with an encore; 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 0.5/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.3/4 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with James Corden" (0.9/3). 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 0.8/3 with an encore 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