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

Here are the highlights of the eight ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (3/20/21):

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

CBS (3.396 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1) scored another victory on Saturday with its primetime portions of the "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament: (7) UConn vs. (10) Maryland" (3.504 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #1) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament: (6) BYU vs. (11) UCLA" (3.288 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2).NBC (2.392 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.3, #2) was a distant second with its due of "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (2.542 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T3) and "SNL Vintage" (2.091 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T3).

Next up was ABC (1.586 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T3) and encores of "Shark Tank" (1.594 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T5) and "American Idol" (1.583 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T5).

And finally, FOX (0.769 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T3) closed out the night with rebroadcasts of "The Masked Singer" (0.846 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T5) and "Game of Talents" (0.692 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T5).

Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/21/20):

NBC (3.549 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1) claimed top honors on Saturday with its telecasts of "Ellen's Game of Games" (2.885 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (3.881 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1).

Second place went to ABC (2.715 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #2) with encores of "Shark Tank" (2.959 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and "American Idol" (2.593 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T4).

Next up was CBS (2.789 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.3, #3) and its lineup of "Hawaii Five-0" (3.112 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6), "SWAT" (2.671 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6) and "48 Hours" (2.585 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T4).

And finally, repeats of "LEGO Masters" (0.981 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T8) and "9-1-1" (1.171 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T8) closed out the night on FOX (1.076 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4).

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

· A March 21 encore edition of "Saturday Night Live," with host JJ Watt and musical guest Luke Combs, has averaged a 2.9 rating in "live plus same day" household results from 44 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 0.9 rating in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· Last night's "Saturday Night Live" is tied as the #2 highest-rated "SNL" encore in metered-market households among the 11 aired in this timeslot since Nielsen revised its metered-market methodology on Oct. 5, 2019, trailing over that span only the Jan. 11 rebroadcast (3.1 in metered-market households with host and musical guest Harry Styles). The Feb. 15 "SNL" encore (with host Eddie Murphy and musical guest Lizzo) also scored a 2.9 in metered-market households.

· Versus primetime programming on the Big 4 networks last night, the "SNL" rebroadcast is the #1 show of the night in metered-market households and in 18-49 in the local people meters.

· Note that current metered-market results are not compatible with data issued before Oct. 5 due to changes in Nielsen methodology.

Source: Nielsen Media Research, ShowBuzzDaily.com