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[09/25/20 - 08:16 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Tops Viewers, Splits Demos with 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 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (9/24/20):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The ABC station in Miami and the FOX station in Jacksonville carried NFL football.]

ABC (3.823 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T1) was the top draw on Thursday thanks to the return of "Celebrity Family Feud" (5.107 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #2), "Press Your Luck" (3.451 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) and "Match Game" (2.911 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4).

CBS (2.522 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T1) however shared in the demo honors with its mix of "Big Brother 22" (4.004 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1), "Love Island" (1.884 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) and "Star Trek: Discovery" (1.679 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #10).

Next up was NBC (3.168 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) with the Thursday bows of "The Wall" (2.872 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6) and "Dateline NBC" (3.316 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.361 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) served up encores of "The Masked Singer: Special Season Four Sneak Peek" (1.454 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "Filthy Rich" (1.267 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8).

And finally, The CW (0.719 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with "Mysteries Decoded" (0.787 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T11) and "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (0.652 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T11).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+10.00% - Big Brother 22
0.00% - Celebrity Family Feud (vs. 9/20/20)
0.00% - Press Your Luck (vs. 7/12/20)
0.00% - Match Game (vs. 7/12/20)
0.00% - Love Island
-42.86% - The Wall (vs. 6/29/20)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+22.22% - Big Brother 22 (vs. Young Sheldon/The Unicorn)
-16.67% - Match Game (vs. How to Get Away with Murder)
-33.33% - Love Island (vs. Mom/Carol's Second Act)
-36.51% - Dateline NBC (vs. Various)
-38.46% - The Wall (vs. Superstore/Perfect Harmony)
-45.45% - Press Your Luck (vs. A Million Little Things)
-53.33% - Celebrity Family Feud (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
-71.43% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. Evil)


Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (9/26/19):

FOX (12.710 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) overshadowed the competition on Thursday with its telecasts of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (10.081 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (13.236 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1).

The silver then went to ABC (4.663 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2) with the return of "Grey's Anatomy" (6.461 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3), "A Million Little Things" (5.004 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (2.525 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.6, #13).

Next up was CBS (5.915 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) and its debut lineup of "Young Sheldon" (8.058 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5), "The Unicorn" (6.007 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Mom" (6.224 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Carol's Second Act" (5.965 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9) and "Evil" (4.618 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.856 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up the openers to "Superstore" (2.876 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Perfect Harmony" (2.601 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #14), "The Good Place" (2.432 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9), "Sunnyside" (1.794 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.715 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9).

And finally, The CW (0.578 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the evening the penultimate "The Outpost" (0.651 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T16) and the season finale of "The Outpost" (0.506 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T16).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
-50.00% - The Outpost

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+20.59% - Thursday Night Football
+12.00% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
0.00% - Evil (vs. SWAT)
0.00% - The Outpost - 9:00 (vs. The Originals (Repeat))
-20.00% - Superstore (vs. The Good Place)
-21.05% - Grey's Anatomy
-25.00% - How to Get Away with Murder
-30.00% - The Good Place (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
-36.36% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-38.46% - Mom
-38.89% - A Million Little Things (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
-41.67% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-44.44% - Perfect Harmony (vs. The Good Place)
-50.00% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon)
-50.00% - The Outpost - 8:00 (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
-52.38% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory)
-60.00% - Sunnyside (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

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," 1.3/4; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 2.6/7; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.3/2; "Late Show," 0.4/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.3/2.

· 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," 1.0/4 in metered-market households; CBS's "Late Late Show," 1.0/4. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.2/2 in 18-49; "Late Late Show," 0.2/2.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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