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 (2/18/17):

NBC (3.992 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) took home the top spot on Saturday with its weekend mainstays "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (4.179 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #2) and "SNL Vintage" (3.619 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1).

The silver then went to ABC (1.808 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #2) with the feature "Flushed Away" (1.568 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T5) and "20/20 Saturday" (2.288 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4).

Next up was CBS (3.449 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) and its trio of "Ransom" (3.100 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T5), "NCIS: New Orleans" (3.115 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T5) and "48 Hours" (4.132 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3).

And finally, encores of "24: Legacy" (0.938 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.2, #9) and "APB" (1.035 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #8) rounded out the night on FOX (0.986 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4).

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

· A Feb. 18 encore of "Saturday Night Live," with host Dave Chappelle and musical guest A Tribe Called Quest, has averaged a 3.6 share, 9 share in households in Nielsen's 56 metered markets and a 1.3/7 in 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· Excluding the Jan. 7 rebroadcast, which benefited from an NFL Playoff overrun, it's the highest-rated "Saturday Night Live" encore in two years in metered-market households (since Feb. 14, 2015, with an encore of the "SNL" series premiere with host George Carlin and musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston, 3.8).

· Versus what the show averaged last year with February encores, the Feb. 18 "SNL" is up +20% in metered-market households (3.6 vs. 3.0) and up +8% in 18-49 in the local people meters (1.3 vs. 1.2).

· Last night's "Saturday Night Live" encore was the #1 telecast of the night on the broadcast networks in metered-market households and 18-49 in the local people meters, outrating every Saturday primetime telecast on those nets in both categories.

Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (2/20/16):

NBC (4.172 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T1) was the top draw on Saturday with a two-hour "Dateline NBC" (4.784 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) and an encore "Saturday Night Live" (2.949 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4).

ABC (2.518 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T1) then shared in the demo honors with "NBA Countdown" (2.026 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5) and "NBA on ABC" (2.617 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T1).

Next up was CBS (3.925 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) and repeats of "NCIS: Los Angeles" (3.350 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #7) and "Criminal Minds" (3.248 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #6) plus a new "48 Hours" (5.178 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T1).

And finally, a repeat "Rosewood" (1.337 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #8) and the special "Jeff Gordon's Daytona 500 Kickoff Celebration" (1.121 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.2, #9) closed out the night on FOX (1.229 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4).

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

· The Feb. 20 encore telecast of "Saturday Night Live," with host Adam Driver and musical guest Chris Stapleton, averaged a 3.1 rating, 8 share in household results from the 56 markets metered-by Nielsen Media Research and a 1.3/6 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters, to score the show's highest 18-49 rating in the local people meters for a rebroadcast since May.

· In the 25 markets with local people meters, the 1.3 for last night's "Saturday Night Live" ranks as the show's highest rating for an encore since May 30, 2015 (1.3/6 with host Cameron Diaz and musical guests Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars). The last time an "SNL" rebroadcast rated higher in the local people meters was April 25, 2015 (1.4/7 with host Chris Hemsworth and musical guest Zac Brown Band).

· "Saturday Night Live" was the #1 non-sports telecast of the night on the Big 4 networks in 18-49 in the local people meters, outrating all primetime entertainment programming on those nets in that key measure.

· Note that "SNL" adds significant viewership via time-shifting, with originals growing by 48% going from L+SD to L+7 in national adult 18-49 rating (1.97 to 2.92) and +2.235 million persons in total viewers (6.458 million to 8.693 million).

Source: Nielsen Media Research