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[12/11/20 - 09:06 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: "Thursday Night Football" Returns on Top for FOX
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 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (12/10/20):

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

FOX (9.115 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) remained on top on Thursday with its presentations of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (8.419 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (9.255 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1).

ABC (4.813 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) took home the silver with its drama trio of "Station 19" (5.399 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4), "Grey's Anatomy" (5.502 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3) and "A Million Little Things" (3.540 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T5).

Next up was NBC (3.110 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) and its pair of specials "One Night Only: The Best of Broadway" (3.544 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T5) and "Time Person of the Year" (2.242 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8).

Meanwhile, CBS (2.564 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) opted for repeats of "Young Sheldon" (4.142 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #7), "B Positive" (2.921 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8), "Mom" (2.682 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and another "Mom" (2.682 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) plus "Star Trek: Discovery" (1.583 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.2, #12).

And finally, The CW (0.643 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with its holiday offering "Silent Night - A Song for the World" (0.643 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.1, #13).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Station 19
0.00% - Star Trek: Discovery
-8.33% - Grey's Anatomy
-11.11% - Thursday Night Football (vs. 11/19/20)
-16.67% - A Million Little Things
-20.00% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game (vs. 11/19/20)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+120.00% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition)
+33.33% - Station 19 (vs. Various (Repeats))
+5.26% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
0.00% - A Million Little Things (vs. The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition)
0.00% - Time Person of the Year (vs. A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy (Repeat))
-7.69% - Thursday Night Football
-33.33% - One Night Only: The Best of Broadway (vs. Various)
-60.00% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. Evil)
-66.67% - Silent Night - A Song for the World (vs. Supernatural/Legacies)


Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/12/19):

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

FOX (9.017 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #1) cruised to victory on Thursday with its telecasts of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (7.461 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (9.328 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1).

CBS (5.379 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #2) then settled for silver with its fall finales from "Young Sheldon" (8.205 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T3), "The Unicorn" (5.616 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T5), "Mom" (6.191 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T5), "Carol's Second Act" (5.000 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and "Evil" (3.630 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T11).

Next up was NBC (3.293 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) and the conclusion to "Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways" (5.888 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T3) followed by the fall finales of "Superstore" (2.831 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and "Perfect Harmony" (1.797 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) plus an encore of "A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy" (1.676 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T14).

Meanwhile, ABC (2.908 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) offered up repeats of "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" (3.272 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and "Toy Story That Time Forgot" (2.639 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) alongside the return of "The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition" (2.884 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T11).

And finally, The CW (1.018 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night with the fall finales of "Supernatural" (1.106 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T14) and "Legacies" (0.929 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T14).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Carol's Second Act
0.00% - Evil
0.00% - Perfect Harmony (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Supernatural
0.00% - Legacies
-9.09% - Young Sheldon
-12.50% - Mom
-12.50% - The Unicorn
-14.29% - Superstore (vs. 11/21/19)
-33.33% - Thursday Night Football
-34.48% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+81.82% - Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways (vs. Superstore/I Feel Bad)
+20.00% - Superstore (vs. A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (Repeat))
0.00% - Evil (vs. SWAT (Repeat))
0.00% - Legacies
-9.09% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory (Repeat))
-14.29% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-16.67% - The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition
-20.00% - Perfect Harmony (vs. A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (Repeat))
-25.00% - Supernatural
-25.71% - Thursday Night Football
-34.48% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
-36.36% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon (Repeat))
-41.67% - Mom

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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