or


[12/04/20 - 08:35 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Tops Demo Race with "Grey's Anatomy"
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 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (12/3/20):

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

ABC (4.966 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1) pulled in front on Thursday thanks to its trio of "Station 19" (5.382 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T2), "Grey's Anatomy" (5.673 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #1) and "A Million Little Things" (3.844 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5).

CBS (4.171 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) was the number two draw with its lineup of "Young Sheldon" (7.270 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T2), "B Positive" (5.199 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5), "Mom" (5.167 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5), "The Unicorn" (3.617 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #9) and "Star Trek: Discovery" (1.887 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T11).

Next up was NBC (4.070 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and its mix of "The Voice Holiday Celebration" (5.270 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.036 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5) and "Dateline NBC" (2.904 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #10).

Meanwhile, FOX (0.840 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4) opted for coverage of the "MLS Playoffs 2020: Western Conference Semifinal" (0.840 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T11).

And finally, The CW (0.591 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with "iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Greatest Moments" (0.526 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13), a new "World's Funniest Animals" (0.615 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13) and a repeat "World's Funniest Animals" (0.696 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Dateline NBC (vs. 11/19/20)
+20.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Young Sheldon (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - B Positive (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Mom (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - The Unicorn (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - World's Funniest Animals (vs. 11/27/20)
-11.11% - Station 19 (vs. 11/19/20)
-14.29% - A Million Little Things (vs. 11/19/20)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Same Time, Next Christmas)
+16.67% - The Voice Holiday Celebration (vs. A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (Repeat))
0.00% - A Million Little Things (vs. Same Time, Next Christmas)
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (Repeat))
0.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. Making It)
-16.67% - The Unicorn (vs. Carol's Second Act)
-20.00% - Station 19 (vs. A Charlie Brown Christmas (Repeat))
-25.00% - B Positive (vs. The Unicorn)
-25.00% - Mom
-27.27% - Young Sheldon
-60.00% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. Evil)
-66.67% - iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Greatest Moments (vs. Supernatural)
-66.67% - World's Funniest Animals (vs. Legacies)
-94.59% - MLS Playoffs 2020: Western Conference Semifinal (vs. Thursday Night Football)


Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/5/19):

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

FOX (13.638 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1) got another boost on Thursday with its presentations of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (11.582 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (14.049 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1).

ABC (4.124 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) then was a distant second with its annual telecast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (4.954 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) followed by the original movie "Same Time, Next Christmas" (3.709 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7).

Next up was CBS (5.263 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) and its mix of "Young Sheldon" (8.390 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3), "The Unicorn" (5.832 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Mom" (5.981 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Carol's Second Act" (4.685 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and "Evil" (3.346 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #10).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.651 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) offered up "A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special" (3.125 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and a new "Making It" (1.702 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11).

And finally, The CW (0.962 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) rounded out the night with new episodes from "Supernatural" (1.066 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12) and "Legacies" (0.857 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Supernatural (vs. 11/21/19)
+50.00% - Legacies (vs. 11/21/19)
+44.44% - Thursday Night Football (vs. 11/21/19)
+31.82% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game (vs. 11/21/19)
+14.29% - The Unicorn (vs. 11/21/19)
+10.00% - Young Sheldon (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Mom (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Carol's Second Act (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Evil (vs. 11/21/19)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+70.59% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
+69.57% - Thursday Night Football
0.00% - Making It (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
-14.29% - Same Time, Next Christmas (vs. The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition)
-25.00% - Legacies
-25.00% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-28.57% - Evil (vs. SWAT)
-33.33% - Mom
-40.00% - Supernatural
-47.62% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory)
-50.00% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon)

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [december 2020]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[01/07/26 - 12:32 PM]
Bowl Season on ESPN Networks Delivers Strongest Audience Since 2015-16
ABC delivered its largest non CFP bowl audience in 12 years, averaging 6.2 million viewers across six games.

[01/07/26 - 09:29 AM]
In 2025, Fans Power ESPN and "ESPN on ABC" to Its Most-Watched Year in Over a Decade
ESPN networks increased industry-leading sports share to 35 percent, up from 31 percent in 2024.

[01/06/26 - 03:18 PM]
FOX NFL Rings in Best Regular Season Since 2015
The regular season averaged 19.633 million viewers for the network.

[01/06/26 - 03:00 PM]
Record-Setting Season as "Sunday Night Football" on NBC and Peacock Averages 23.5 Million Viewers & Paces as Primetime's #1 Show for Unprecedented 15th Consecutive Year
"Sunday Night Football" averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 23.5 million viewers for the 2025 season.

[01/06/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of December 29 - "Stranger Things 5" Concludes Right Side Up at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
At No. 2 on the English TV list with 12.7 million views is the new Harlan Coben mystery series "Run Away," centered on a father desperate for clues about his missing daughter while a string of related murders heightens the urgency to find her.

[01/05/26 - 02:34 PM]
2025-26 College Football Playoff Quarterfinals on ESPN Score 19.3 Million Average Viewers; CFP Up YOY Through Two Rounds
The Rose Bowl (Indiana vs. Alabama) topped all coverage with 23.9 million viewers on average.

[01/05/26 - 09:49 AM]
Prime Video Delivers "Thursday Night Football's" Most-Watched Season Ever
The 2025 season averaged 15.33 million viewers throughout its 15-game campaign, marking a +16% increase over the 2024 season and the third-consecutive year of double-digit, year-over-year viewership growth.

[01/02/26 - 03:45 PM]
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" Rises to Four Year High Reaching 30 Million Total Viewers at Midnight
The telecast averaged 18.8 million total viewers in the 11:30pm-12:30am hour alone.

[01/02/26 - 09:49 AM]
FOX NFL's Week 17 "America's Game of the Week" Comes Out on Top with 28.8 Million Viewers
The Eagles-Bills close finish marked FOX's second most-watched telecast of the regular season.

[12/31/25 - 12:46 PM]
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-Vikings Becoming the Most-Streamed NFL Game in US History
Said coverage averaged 27.5 million viewers in the US, with US viewership peaking at over 30 million viewers.

[12/31/25 - 10:11 AM]
NFL on Prime's Christmas Night Showdown Between the Broncos and Chiefs Sets New Viewership Marks for "TNF"
The streamer's "Thursday Night Football" finale averaged 21.06 million viewers, peaking with 22.90 million.

[12/31/25 - 10:08 AM]
ESPN Delivered Largest Average NBA Christmas Audience Since 2018
The San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game in the 2:30 p.m. window became ESPN's most-watched NBA Christmas game in the timeslot since 2017, averaging 6.7 million viewers.

[12/30/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of December 22 - "Stranger Things 5" Runs Up That Hill to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
At No. 2 on the list was "Emily in Paris" Season 5 with 13.3 million views.

[12/30/25 - 08:00 AM]
Aced It! ESPN Scored Most-Watched 2025 NCAA Women's College Volleyball Season on Record
The entirety of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament finished up 13% year over year, averaging 666,000 viewers across the 15 matches and featured the most-watched Regionals on record.

[12/24/25 - 10:01 AM]
Dec. 20 Holiday Episode Ranks as #1 "Saturday Night Live" Telecast of the Season
Hosted by Ariana Grande with musical guest Cher, the episode drew 5.4 million viewers.