Primetime Preliminary Fast National Nielsen Data
(includes all DVR playback through 3:00 am)

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (10/15/20):

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

ABC (9.201 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #1) claimed the top spot on Thursday thanks to "The Vice President and the People – A Special Edition of 20/20" (12.229 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) alongside a repeat "Emergency Call" (3.145 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5).

NBC (4.914 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) was the number two draw with its mix of "Decision 2020: Trump Town Hall" (10.386 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2), "Connecting..." (2.449 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #6), a second "Connecting..." (1.239 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.2, #12) and "Dateline NBC" (2.511 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #7).

Next up was CBS (2.538 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) with a new "Big Brother 22" (3.885 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #3) followed by a repeat "The Neighborhood" (1.921 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8), another "The Neighborhood" (1.837 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "Star Trek: Discovery" (1.850 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.514 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) offered up its primetime coverage of "NLCS, Game 4" (2.514 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4).

And finally, The CW (0.831 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5) closed out the night with "Supernatural" (1.028 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "The Outpost" (0.633 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.1, #13).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+66.67% - Connecting...
+50.00% - Star Trek: Discovery
0.00% - Big Brother 22
0.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - The Outpost
-25.00% - Supernatural

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+183.33% - Decision 2020: Trump Town Hall (vs. Superstore/Perfect Harmony)
+173.68% - The Vice President and the People – A Special Edition of 20/20 (vs. Grey's Anatomy/A Million Little Things)
+12.50% - Big Brother 22 (vs. Young Sheldon/The Unicorn)
0.00% - Supernatural
-16.67% - Connecting... - 9:00 (vs. The Good Place)
-33.33% - Dateline NBC (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
-33.33% - Connecting... - 9:30 (vs. Sunnyside)
-50.00% - The Outpost (vs. Legacies)
-57.14% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. Evil)
-75.86% - NLCS, Game 4 (vs. Thursday Night Football)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/17/19):

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

FOX (9.745 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #1) cruised to another victory on Thursday with its weekly presentations of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (8.427 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (10.009 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1).

ABC (3.988 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) remained a distant second with its trio of "Grey's Anatomy" (5.725 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3), "A Million Little Things" (4.043 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (2.196 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #13).

Next up was CBS (5.222 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) and its lineup of "Young Sheldon" (7.751 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4), "The Unicorn" (5.278 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7), "Mom" (5.764 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Carol's Second Act" (4.972 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7) and "Evil" (3.784 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.510 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) served up new episodes of "Superstore" (2.993 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Perfect Harmony" (2.091 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #14), "The Good Place" (2.019 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11), the departing "Sunnyside" (1.222 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.369 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11).

And finally, fresh installments of "Supernatural" (1.156 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15) and "Legacies" (0.846 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.2, #17) on The CW (1.001 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+40.00% - Evil
+16.67% - Carol's Second Act
0.00% - Mom
0.00% - Superstore
0.00% - The Unicorn
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - The Good Place
0.00% - How to Get Away with Murder
0.00% - Perfect Harmony
0.00% - Sunnyside
-7.69% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
-7.69% - Grey's Anatomy
-10.00% - Young Sheldon
-12.50% - A Million Little Things
-18.92% - Thursday Night Football
-25.00% - Supernatural
-33.33% - Legacies

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+42.86% - Thursday Night Football
+41.18% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
+26.32% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Various (Repeats))
0.00% - Evil (vs. SWAT)
0.00% - Superstore
-12.50% - A Million Little Things (vs. Station 19)
-22.22% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-28.57% - How to Get Away with Murder
-33.33% - Legacies (vs. Charmed (Repeat))
-33.33% - The Good Place (vs. Will & Grace)
-38.46% - Mom
-40.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-40.00% - Supernatural
-50.00% - Perfect Harmony (vs. The Good Place)
-50.00% - Sunnyside (vs. I Feel Bad)
-55.00% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory)
-58.82% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon)

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

TBA

Source: Nielsen Media Research