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[03/22/19 - 08:16 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Opens on Top for CBS
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 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (3/21/19):

CBS (3.851 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #1) was the adults 18-49 champ on Thursday thanks to its first round coverage of "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament" (3.904 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) and another "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament" (3.798 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #2).

ABC (5.216 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) then was a close second with originals from "Grey's Anatomy" (6.891 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.4, #1), "Station 19" (5.600 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T4) and "For the People" (3.156 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T11).

Next up was NBC (3.322 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) with new episodes of "Superstore" (3.887 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T4), "AP Bio" (2.329 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T11), "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (2.230 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T8), "Will & Grace" (2.955 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.7, #7) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.265 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #6).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.589 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up new episodes of "Gotham" (2.231 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T8) and "The Orville" (2.947 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T8).

And finally, The CW (1.240 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night with new episodes of "Supernatural" (1.467 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) and "Legacies" (1.013 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.3, #14).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+16.67% - Will & Grace
+12.50% - Station 19
0.00% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - The Orville (vs. 3/7/19)
0.00% - Gotham (vs. 3/7/19)
0.00% - Supernatural
0.00% - Legacies
-10.00% - Superstore
-14.29% - Brooklyn Nine-Nine
-16.67% - For the People
-16.67% - AP Bio

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Legacies (vs. Arrow (Repeat))
+33.33% - Supernatural (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
0.00% - The Orville (vs. Showtime at the Apollo)
-14.29% - Gotham
-18.18% - Superstore
-25.00% - Station 19
-26.32% - Grey's Anatomy
-28.57% - AP Bio
-33.33% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Chicago Fire)
-41.67% - Will & Grace (vs. Chicago Fire)
-50.00% - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (vs. Chicago Fire)
-54.55% - For the People (vs. Station 19)

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," 1.9/5; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 1.5/5 with an encore delayed by NCAA basketball; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.4/3; "Late Show," 0.4/3 with an encore delayed by NCAA basketball; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/2.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.2/2 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," 0.9/4 with an encore delayed by NCAA basketball. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.3/2 in 18-49; "Late Late Show," 0.2/2 with an encore delayed by NCAA basketball.

· 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 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/22/18):

CBS (8.050 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) was still the network to beat on Thursday with week two of its "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament" (8.172 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T2) coverage followed by an "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (7.759 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T2) and more "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament" (8.013 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) coverage.

ABC (6.108 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #2) then was the silver draw with a new "Grey's Anatomy" (7.488 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) followed by the launch of "Station 19" (5.715 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5) and a second "Station 19" (5.122 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T8).

Next up was NBC (5.644 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3) with fresh installments from "Superstore" (3.878 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T8), "AP Bio" (2.868 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T10), "Chicago Fire" (6.505 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5) and a second "Chicago Fire" (7.054 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.401 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up originals from "Gotham" (2.437 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T10) and "Showtime at the Apollo" (2.365 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #12).

And finally, repeats of "Supernatural" (0.968 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #13) and "Arrow" (0.609 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #14) rounded out the evening on The CW (0.788 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+16.67% - Gotham
+10.00% - Superstore
+5.56% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Showtime at the Apollo
-7.69% - Chicago Fire (vs. 3/8/18)
-12.50% - AP Bio

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+71.43% - Chicago Fire - 10:00 (vs. The Blacklist: Redemption)
+57.14% - Station 19 - 10:00 (vs. The Catch)
+50.00% - Chicago Fire - 9:00 (vs. Chicago Med (Repeat))
0.00% - Superstore
0.00% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Showtime at the Apollo (vs. Kicking & Screaming)
0.00% - AP Bio (vs. Trial & Error (Repeat))
-7.69% - Station 19 - 9:00 (vs. Scandal)
-36.36% - Gotham (vs. MasterChef Junior)

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," 2.2/6; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," delayed by NCAA basketball; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.3/6.

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

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.4/5 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, ratings were: "Late Night with Seth Meyers," 1.3/4 in metered-market households; CBS's "Late Late Show," delayed by NCAA basketball. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.3/3 in 18-49; "Late Late Show," delayed by NCAA basketball.

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.2/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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