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[02/06/21 - 10:02 AM]
Friday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Tops Adults 18-49; CBS Leads Total Viewers
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 11 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (2/5/21):

ABC (4.115 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) pulled in front among adults 18-49 on Friday thanks to fresh installments of "Shark Tank" (4.542 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) and "20/20" (3.901 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T2).

FOX (2.126 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) was a close second with its latest edition of "WWE SmackDown" (2.126 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T2).

Next up was CBS (5.625 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #3) with originals from "MacGyver" (5.025 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4), "Magnum P.I." (5.529 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) and "Blue Bloods" (6.321 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.937 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #4) offered up its duo of "The Blacklist" (3.317 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.3, #8) and "Dateline NBC" (2.747 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #7).

And finally, The CW (0.860 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.928 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9), a repeat "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.864 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9) and "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (0.824 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - 20/20
0.00% - Shark Tank (vs. 1/22/21)
0.00% - WWE SmackDown
0.00% - Blue Bloods (vs. 1/22/21)
0.00% - MacGyver (vs. 1/22/21)
0.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us
-16.67% - Magnum P.I. (vs. 1/22/21)
-25.00% - The Blacklist
-50.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Blue Bloods (vs. Blue Bloods (Repeat))
0.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us (vs. Dynasty)
-25.00% - WWE SmackDown
-25.00% - The Blacklist (vs. Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector)
-28.57% - MacGyver
-28.57% - Magnum P.I. (vs. Hawaii Five-0)
-33.33% - Dateline NBC
-36.36% - Shark Tank (vs. ABC News: The Democratic Debate)
-45.45% - 20/20 (vs. ABC News: The Democratic Debate)
-50.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway? (vs. Charmed)


Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (2/7/20):

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

ABC (6.859 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1) pulled off a rare victory on Friday with its coverage of "ABC News: The Democratic Debate" (6.859 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1).

FOX (2.547 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) had to settle for second in adults 18-49 with "WWE SmackDown" (2.547 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2).

Next up was CBS (5.968 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) with the return of "MacGyver" (5.969 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T3) followed by a new "Hawaii Five-0" (6.622 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T3) and a repeat "Blue Bloods" (5.314 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.802 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) offered up its duo of "Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector" (3.609 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6) and "Dateline NBC" (3.899 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5).

And finally, fresh installments of "Charmed" (0.596 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #8) and "Dynasty" (0.326 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.1, #9) closed out the evening on The CW (0.461 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - Dateline NBC
+14.29% - WWE SmackDown
0.00% - Hawaii Five-0
0.00% - Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector
0.00% - Charmed
0.00% - Dynasty

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+57.14% - ABC News: The Democratic Debate (vs. Various)
+9.09% - Dateline NBC (vs. The Blacklist/Dateline NBC)
0.00% - WWE SmackDown (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
0.00% - Charmed (vs. Dynasty)
0.00% - Dynasty (vs. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
-20.00% - Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (vs. Blindspot)
-22.22% - Hawaii Five-0 (vs. Celebrity Big Brother)
-36.36% - MacGyver (vs. Celebrity Big Brother)

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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