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 (8/20/20):

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

CBS (2.534 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #1) pulled in front on Thursday thanks to a new "Big Brother 22" (3.981 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.0, #1) followed by repeats of "Young Sheldon" (2.378 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) and "The Unicorn" (1.691 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7) plus "CBS News: 2020 America Decides: Democratic Convention" (1.587 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T11).

ABC (2.460 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #2) then took home the silver with repeats of "Holey Moley" (2.476 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) and "To Tell the Truth" (2.479 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) alongside "The Democratic National Convention - Your Voice/Your Vote 2020 " (2.425 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2).

Next up was NBC (2.126 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T3) and its mix of "The Wall" (2.607 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.011 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7) and "NBC News Special: 2020 Democratic Convention" (1.758 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.003 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T3) opted for a repeat "Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back" (0.982 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T11) and a second "Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back" (1.024 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7).

And finally, The CW (0.717 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with "Mysteries Decoded" (0.812 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T11) and "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (0.623 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #14).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Big Brother 22

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Big Brother 22 (vs. The Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon (Repeats))

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (8/22/19):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Some high rated local pre-season NFL games (across all networks) are included here but will be excluded from Officials.]

NBC (4.406 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T1) was the network to beat on Thursday with its mix of "The Wall" (4.991 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3), "Ellen's Game of Games" (4.564 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #2) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.662 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7).

Sharing in the demo honors was CBS (4.321 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T1) and its lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (4.944 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Young Sheldon" (4.757 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Big Brother 21" (5.127 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.3, #1) and "FBI" (2.986 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #10).

Next up was FOX (3.457 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T1) with its coverage of "NFL Preseason: Jaguars at Dolphins" (3.457 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4).

Meanwhile, ABC (2.969 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up a new "Holey Moley" (3.591 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7), the season finale of "Holey Moley" (2.865 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #9) and a new "Reef Break" (2.453 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11).

And finally on The CW (0.928 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5), fresh installments of "The Outpost" (1.097 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #12) and "Two Sentence Horror Stories" (0.816 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T13) plus a repeat "Two Sentence Horror Stories" (0.702 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T13) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - The Outpost
+40.00% - Holey Moley
+33.33% - Reef Break
+18.18% - Big Brother 21
0.00% - Two Sentence Horror Stories

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Two Sentence Horror Stories (vs. The Originals (Repeat))
+50.00% - The Outpost (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
+40.00% - Holey Moley - 8:00 (vs. The Gong Show)
+20.00% - Holey Moley - 9:00 (vs. The Story of the Royals, Part 2)
-18.75% - Big Brother 21
-20.00% - Reef Break (vs. The Story of the Royals, Part 2)

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," 1.4/4 with an encore telecast; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 1.7/5 with an encore; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4 with an encore.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.3/3 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.2/2 with an encore; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.3/2 with an encore.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline," averaged a 0.9/3 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," 0.8/3 with an encore in metered-market households; CBS's "Late Late Show," 0.8/3 with an encore. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.2/2 with an encore in 18-49; "Late Late Show," 0.1/1 with an encore.

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.5/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.1/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research