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[12/23/18 - 09:00 AM]
Saturday's Broadcast Ratings: NBC Tops in Both 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 (12/22/18):

NBC (3.494 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1) took home top honors on Saturday with a two-hour "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (3.542 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) and a vintage "Saturday Night Live" (3.399 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1).

FOX (1.927 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #2) then was the silver draw among adults 18-49 with its coverage of "Premier Boxing Champions" (1.927 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3).

Next up was CBS (2.965 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) with repeats of "NCIS" (2.824 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T5) and "FBI" (2.605 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T5) plus a new "48 Hours" (3.466 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3).

And finally, an encore of "CMA Country Christmas" (2.594 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T5) and a new "The Alec Baldwin Show" (1.120 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #8) rounded out the night on ABC (2.103 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4).

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

· A Dec. 22 encore telecast of "Saturday Night Live," with host Seth Meyers and musical guest Paul Simon, has averaged a 2.9 rating, 8 share in "live plus same day" household results from the 56 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 0.9/5 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· This week's "SNL" scored the show's highest metered-market household rating for a regular-slot encore since April 24 (3.0 with host Saoirse Ronan and musical guest U2) (excludes an hourlong Oct. 27 11:30-12:30 "Halloween" special).

· The 0.9 in 18-49 in the local people meters equals the high for a regular-slot "Saturday Night Live" encore since June 2 (1.0 with host Donald Glover and musical guest Glover as Childish Gambino) (excludes the Oct. 27 special).

· The Dec. 22 "Saturday Night Live" is the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in metered-market households and 18-49 in the local people, topping all primetime shows on those nets in both measures.


Here are the highlights of the 10 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/23/17):

[Note: Fast affiliate ratings are inaccurate for live sports.]

NBC (13.086 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) rocketed to the top spot on Saturday with special editions of "Football Night in America #3" (10.190 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) and "Sunday Night Football" (13.666 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.6, #1).

CBS (3.170 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #2) then was a distant silver with its mix of "NCIS: New Orleans" (2.929 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7), "48 Hours" (3.099 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) and another "48 Hours" (3.482 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3).

Next up was ABC (1.976 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) with repeats of "The Great Christmas Light Fight" (2.128 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #6), another "The Great Christmas Light Fight" (2.206 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) and a new "Ten Days in the Valley" (1.594 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7).

And finally, FOX (1.082 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4) closed out the night with rebroadcasts of "The Gifted" (0.835 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.2, #10) and "Lethal Weapon" (1.329 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7).

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

· A Dec. 23 encore of "Saturday Night Live," with host Kumail Nanjiani and musical guest P!nk, was delayed by an NFL overrun and reliable metered-market numbers are currently unavailable.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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