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[10/02/20 - 08:12 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS Tops Demos with Expanded "Big Brother"
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 (10/1/20):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Results for ABC and FOX may be impacted by local preemptions for NFL football.]

CBS (3.356 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1) won the demo race on Thursday thanks to a two-hour "Big Brother 22" (4.188 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1) followed by "Star Trek: Discovery" (1.692 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #10).

ABC (3.961 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #2) was a close second with its trio of "Celebrity Family Feud" (5.018 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2), "Press Your Luck" (3.762 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) and "Match Game" (3.102 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4).

Next up was FOX (1.725 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #3) with a repeat "The Masked Singer" (1.940 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) alongside the special "Let's Be Real" (1.753 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) and a repeat "Family Guy" (1.268 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T7).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.936 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #4) served up fresh installments of "The Wall" (2.879 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T7) and "Dateline NBC" (2.965 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T7).

And finally, The CW (0.692 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with "Mysteries Decoded" (0.764 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T11) and "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (0.619 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T11).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Star Trek: Discovery
+16.67% - Press Your Luck
+14.29% - Celebrity Family Feud
0.00% - Big Brother 22
0.00% - Match Game
0.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - The Wall

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+32.53% - Big Brother 22 (vs. Various)
0.00% - Match Game (vs. How to Get Away with Murder)
-22.22% - Press Your Luck (vs. A Million Little Things)
-31.03% - Dateline NBC (vs. Various)
-38.46% - Celebrity Family Feud (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
-38.46% - The Wall (vs. Superstore/Perfect Harmony)
-50.00% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. Evil)
-87.18% - Let's Be Real (vs. Thursday Night Football)


Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/3/19):

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

FOX (12.054 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1) was still the network to beat on Thursday with its telecasts of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (10.571 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (12.351 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1).

ABC (4.485 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) then was a distant second with its mix of "Grey's Anatomy" (6.006 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3), "A Million Little Things" (4.791 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (2.658 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13).

Next up was CBS (5.788 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) and its lineup of "Young Sheldon" (8.133 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4), "The Unicorn" (6.012 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Mom" (6.402 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Carol's Second Act" (5.684 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9) and "Evil" (4.248 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.516 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) served up originals from "Superstore" (2.841 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Perfect Harmony" (2.141 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13), "The Good Place" (2.147 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11), "Sunnyside" (1.278 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.343 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9).

And finally, The CW (0.760 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5) closed out the night with the conclusion of "iHeartRadio Music Festival Night 2" (0.760 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.2, #16).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+3.57% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
0.00% - Young Sheldon
0.00% - Mom
0.00% - The Unicorn
0.00% - Superstore
0.00% - Carol's Second Act
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - Perfect Harmony
-4.88% - Thursday Night Football
-13.33% - Grey's Anatomy
-14.29% - Evil
-14.29% - The Good Place
-16.67% - How to Get Away with Murder
-18.18% - A Million Little Things
-25.00% - Sunnyside

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+25.81% - Thursday Night Football
+20.83% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
0.00% - iHeartRadio Music Festival Night 2 (vs. Supernatural/The Originals (Repeats))
-11.11% - Superstore
-14.29% - Evil (vs. SWAT)
-18.18% - A Million Little Things (vs. Station 19)
-18.75% - Grey's Anatomy
-30.00% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-30.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-37.50% - How to Get Away with Murder
-38.46% - Mom
-40.00% - The Good Place (vs. Will & Grace)
-44.44% - Perfect Harmony (vs. The Good Place)
-54.55% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory)
-55.56% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon)
-57.14% - Sunnyside (vs. I Feel Bad)

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

TBA

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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