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[09/22/16 - 08:44 AM]
Wednesday's Broadcast Ratings: "Empire" Returns on Top, But Down
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 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (9/21/16):

FOX (9.296 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) staked claim to the top spot on Wednesday with the premiere of "Lethal Weapon" (7.797 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #5) followed by the return of "Empire" (10.796 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1).

ABC (8.095 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) then was the silver draw with its debut lineup of "The Goldbergs" (6.798 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T6), "Speechless" (7.285 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T6), "Modern Family" (8.159 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2), "Black-ish" (6.422 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T6) and "Designated Survivor" (9.953 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T3).

Next up was CBS (7.835 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with the 90-minute launch of "Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X" (9.352 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T3) alongside the finale to "Big Brother 18" (6.318 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T6).

Meanwhile, NBC (6.852 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up its trio of "Blindspot" (6.003 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #12), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (7.693 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #10) and "Chicago PD" (6.859 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #11).

And finally, a repeat "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (1.193 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T14), an original "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (1.133 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T14) and a second run "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (1.223 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) closed out the night for The CW (1.186 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+17.65% - Big Brother 18
0.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway?
-18.75% - Blindspot

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+76.92% - Designated Survivor (vs. Nashville)
+50.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway? (vs. A Wicked Offer)
+20.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
+8.33% - Blindspot (vs. The Mysteries of Laura)
-4.17% - Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X
-4.76% - The Goldbergs (vs. The Middle)
-8.33% - Lethal Weapon (vs. Rosewood)
-9.09% - Big Brother 18
-15.79% - Chicago PD (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
-16.13% - Modern Family
-16.67% - Speechless (vs. The Goldbergs)
-16.67% - Black-ish
-36.92% - Empire

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," 2.6/7; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 1.8/5; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.2/6.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.8/5; "Late Show," 0.3/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.5/5 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" (1.1/4 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show" (0.9/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49) tied "Late Late Show" (0.2/1).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.6/3 in metered-market households and a 0.2/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.


Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (9/23/15):

FOX (11.688 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1) rocketed to the top spot on Wednesday with the premiere of "Rosewood" (7.355 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T3) and the return of "Empire" (16.021 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.5, #1).

CBS (8.050 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) then was a distant second with the season premiere of "Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance" (9.609 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T3) and the finale of "Big Brother 17" (6.490 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.2, #7).

Next up was ABC (7.055 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with the season openers to "The Middle" (8.160 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #8), "The Goldbergs" (7.602 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T3), "Modern Family" (9.262 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2), "Black-ish" (7.301 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T3) and "Nashville" (5.002 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #11).

Meanwhile, NBC (7.797 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up the return of "The Mysteries of Laura" (6.933 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (7.639 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10) and another "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (8.820 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #9).

And finally, a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.356 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) and the season finale of "A Wicked Offer" (0.522 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #14) on The CW (0.939 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the former delivered a 0.6 rating while the latter posted a 0.2 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+22.22% - Big Brother 17
-20.00% - America's Next Top Model
-33.33% - A Wicked Offer

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+550.00% - Empire (vs. Red Band Society)
+84.62% - Rosewood (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
+4.35% - The Goldbergs
0.00% - The Middle
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - 10:00 (vs. Chicago PD)
-11.11% - Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance
-13.33% - Nashville
-15.38% - Big Brother 17
-16.22% - Modern Family
-20.00% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Penn & Teller: Fool Us)
-20.00% - The Mysteries of Laura
-27.27% - Black-ish
-28.57% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - 9:00
-50.00% - A Wicked Offer (vs. Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Repeat))

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," 3.0/8; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 2.4/6; 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," 1.2/6; "Late Show," 0.8/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/2.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.2/4 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" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show" (1.0/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/4 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





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