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[01/01/17 - 08:31 AM]
Saturday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Ends 2016 on Top in Viewers, Demos
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 (12/31/16):

ABC (8.157 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) closed out 2016 on top with its primetime portions of "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017 - Part 1" (6.519 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #2) and "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017 - Part 2" (11.434 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1).

NBC (3.492 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) then was the silver draw with "A Toast to 2016!" (3.639 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T3) and "Late Night with Seth Meyers New Year's Eve Special" (3.197 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T3).

Next up was CBS (3.135 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) with repeats of "Hawaii Five-0" (2.833 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6), "48 Hours" (2.914 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6) and another "48 Hours" (3.658 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5).

And finally, FOX (1.389 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) closed out the evening with repeats of "Bones" (1.306 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "Lethal Weapon" (1.472 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8).

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

· "NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" has hit a seven-year high in adults 18-49 in the local people meters, with a +22% jump versus last year, while rival New Year's Eve broadcasts on ABC and Fox both declined. In metered-market households, the NBC telecast grew +19% year to year to a three-year high.

· From 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., "NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" averaged a 5.1 rating, 11 share in households in the 56 markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 3.3/12 in 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· "NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" grew +19% in metered market households versus last year's 4.3/10 for a Thursday telecast, making this Daly's top New Year's Eve household rating since 2013 (5.2 on a Tuesday).

· Last night's 3.3 in 18-49 in the local people meters is up +22% versus the year-ago 2.7/10, for the special's best score since 2009 (3.4 on a Thursday).

· The 3.3 ranks as the second-highest rating ever in the local people meters for the annual Carson Daly telecast over its 12 years on the air, trailing since the first telecast in 2005 only the 2009 result.

· Other late-night averages last night in the markets metered by Nielsen included: "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2017" on ABC, 9.0/22 from 11:30 p.m.-1:15 a.m. (versus the year-ago 9.9/24) and 6.8/27 in 18-49 in the local people meters (vs. last year's 7.4/29); and Fox's "Pitbull's New Year's Revolution," 2.6/6 in metered-market households from 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (vs. last year's 3.1/7) and 2.4/9 in 18-49 in the local people meters (vs. last year's 2.7/10). National results for the December 31 late-night programs, including viewer numbers, are due from Nielsen Media Research on Wednesday.

· An encore telecast of "Saturday Night Live," airing from 12:30-2 a.m. ET with host with host Benedict Cumberbatch and musical guest Solange, averaged a 2.2/7 in households in Nielsen's 56 metered markets and a 1.6/8 in 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· It's the highest-rated "Saturday Night Live" encore since February 2015 in the local people meters, with last night's 1.6 in 18-49 the show's best since Feb. 14, 2015 (1.6 with host George Carlin and musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston [the "SNL" series premiere from 1975]). The last time an "SNL" rebroadcast has scored higher in the local people meters was Jan. 3, 2015 (1.7 with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Kendrick Lamar the night of an NFL Playoff overrun).

· National ratings, including viewer totals, for last night's "Saturday Night Live" encore are due from Nielsen on Wednesday.


Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/2/16):

NBC (4.310 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1) was the top draw on Saturday with the return of "Dateline NBC" (4.903 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #1) and a repeat "Saturday Night Live" (3.124 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2).

The silver then CBS (4.057 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) with its encore lineup of "Scorpion" (3.724 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #6), "NCIS: New Orleans" (4.345 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T4) and "48 Hours" (4.103 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3).

Next up was ABC (1.966 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) and its marathon of "Galavant" (1.768 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8), another "Galavant" (1.427 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8), more "Galavant" (1.489 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.4, #7), yet another "Galavant" (1.495 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "20/20 Saturday" (2.809 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T4).

And finally, repeats of "Gotham" (0.922 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "Rosewood" (1.020 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) on FOX (0.971 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) closed out the night.

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

· A rebroadcast of "Saturday Night Live," with host Ryan Gosling and musical guest Leon Bridges (2.9/7 in metered-market households, 1.2/5 in adults 18-49 in the local people meters) equaled the show's best 18-49 rating in the local people meters for an encore since May.

· In the 25 markets with local people meters, the 1.2 for last night's "Saturday Night Live" matched the show's highest rating for a rebroadcast since May 30 (1.3/6 with host Cameron Diaz and musical guests Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars).

· The "SNL" encore is the #1 telecast of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 in the local people meters, topping every primetime show on those networks in that key measure.

· Note that "SNL" adds significant viewership via time-shifting, growing by +49% this season going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" ratings in national adult 18-49 results (from a 1.83 rating to a 2.73), and by +2.2 million viewers overall (6.2 million to 8.4 million).

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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