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[07/20/18 - 08:24 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS, "Big Brother" Hold Onto Top Spots
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 (7/19/18):

CBS (4.880 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.0, #1) held off the competition on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (6.045 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2), "Young Sheldon" (5.512 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3), "Big Brother 20" (5.560 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #1) and "SWAT" (3.303 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9).

FOX (2.833 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) was a close second with fresh installments of "The Four: Battle for Stardom" (2.657 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5) and another "The Four: Battle for Stardom" (3.009 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3).

Next up was NBC (3.086 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) with a repeat "Ellen's Game of Games" (3.696 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #6), the return of "Trial & Error" (3.264 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7), a second "Trial & Error" (2.690 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9) and a repeat "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.586 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9).

Meanwhile, ABC (2.819 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) offered up a special early "Take Two" (3.107 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13), a new "Match Game" (2.969 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and a later "The Gong Show" (2.380 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9).

And finally, repeats of "Supernatural" (0.629 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T14) and "Black Lightning" (0.486 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T14) on The CW (0.557 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+6.67% - Big Brother 20
0.00% - The Four: Battle for Stardom - 9:00
0.00% - The Four: Battle for Stardom - 8:00
0.00% - Match Game
0.00% - The Gong Show
-20.00% - Take Two

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+28.57% - The Four: Battle for Stardom - 9:00 (vs. Love Connection)
0.00% - The Four: Battle for Stardom - 8:00 (vs. Beat Shazam)
-11.11% - Big Brother 20
-14.29% - Match Game (vs. Battle of the Network Stars)
-16.67% - The Gong Show
-20.00% - Take Two (vs. Boy Band)
-45.45% - Trial & Error - 9:00 (vs. The Wall)
-54.55% - Trial & Error - 9:30 (vs. The Wall)

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," 1.6/4; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 2.6/7; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/4.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.4/3; "Late Show," 0.5/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline," averaged a 1.5/4 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, ratings were: "Late Night with Seth Meyers," 1.1/4 in metered-market households; CBS's "Late Late Show," 1.1/4 with an encore. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.3/3 in 18-49; "Late Late Show," 0.2/2 with an encore.

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.6/3 in metered-market households with an encore 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 (7/20/17):

CBS (4.766 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1) was the network to beat on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (6.467 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2), "Life in Pieces" (4.594 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4), "Big Brother 19" (5.877 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #1) and "Zoo" (2.892 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10).

NBC (4.349 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) then was the silver draw with its trio of "Hollywood Game Night" (3.876 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5), "The Wall" (5.024 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3) and "The Night Shift" (4.147 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7).

Next up was FOX (2.583 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) with originals from "Beat Shazam" (2.835 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #6) and "Love Connection" (2.332 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7).

Meanwhile, ABC (2.489 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) served up new episodes of "Boy Band" (2.267 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #12), "Battle of the Network Stars" (2.542 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7) and "The Gong Show" (2.659 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10).

And finally, week two of "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (1.778 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) and "Hooten & The Lady" (0.997 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #14) rounded out the night on The CW (1.388 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+16.67% - Love Connection
+12.50% - Hollywood Game Night (vs. 7/6/17)
0.00% - Big Brother 19
0.00% - The Night Shift
0.00% - Battle of the Network Stars
0.00% - Zoo
0.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us
0.00% - Hooten & The Lady
-8.33% - The Wall
-11.11% - Beat Shazam
-14.29% - The Gong Show
-16.67% - Boy Band

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us (vs. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (Repeat))
+75.00% - Love Connection (vs. Home Free)
+12.50% - Hollywood Game Night (vs. Spartan: Ultimate Team Competition)
+10.00% - The Wall (vs. Spartan: Ultimate Team Competition)
+5.88% - Big Brother 19
0.00% - Battle of the Network Stars (vs. Greatest Hits)
0.00% - Hooten & The Lady (vs. Beauty and the Beast)
0.00% - Beat Shazam (vs. Bones)
-14.29% - Zoo (vs. CBS News Special)
-14.29% - The Gong Show (vs. ABC News Special)
-28.57% - Boy Band (vs. BattleBots)
-36.36% - The Night Shift (vs. NBC News Special)

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

TBA

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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