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[04/17/21 - 10:08 AM]
Friday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS Tops Viewers, Demos with "Blue Bloods"
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 (4/16/21):

CBS (5.399 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) was the top draw on Friday thanks to its night of originals from "MacGyver" (4.188 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6), "Magnum P.I." (5.350 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) and "Blue Bloods" (6.659 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T1).

ABC (3.478 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) shared in the demo crown with its duo of "Shark Tank" (3.804 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T1) and "20/20" (3.316 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3).

Next up was FOX (1.997 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) and its mainstay "WWE SmackDown" (1.997 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.972 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #4) served up new episodes from "The Blacklist" (3.432 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #8) and "Dateline NBC" (2.742 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6).

And finally, a new "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.745 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9), a repeat "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.691 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9) and a new "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (0.669 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9) closed out the evening for The CW (0.694 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - Blue Bloods
0.00% - Magnum P.I.
0.00% - 20/20
0.00% - MacGyver
0.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - The Blacklist (vs. 4/2/21)
0.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway? (vs. 3/19/21)
0.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us
-14.29% - Shark Tank
-16.67% - WWE SmackDown

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - Blue Bloods (vs. Blue Bloods (Repeat))
0.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. The Blacklist (Repeat)/Dateline NBC)
0.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us (vs. Dynasty)
-14.29% - Shark Tank (vs. Shark Tank (Repeat))
-16.67% - WWE SmackDown
-28.57% - Magnum P.I.
-28.57% - 20/20 (vs. 20/20 (Repeat))
-42.86% - MacGyver
-50.00% - The Blacklist
-50.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway? (vs. Charmed)


Here are the highlights of the 11 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/17/20):

ABC (4.161 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) was still the network to beat on Friday despite its all-repeat lineup of "Shark Tank" (4.363 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T1) and "20/20" (4.061 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T1).

A close second was CBS (6.294 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T2) with new episodes of "MacGyver" (6.348 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T1) and "Magnum P.I." (6.932 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T1) plus a repeat "Blue Bloods" (5.603 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T7).

Sharing the silver was FOX (2.192 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T2) and its weekly "WWE SmackDown" (2.192 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.486 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) offered up a new "The Blacklist" (4.832 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5), a repeat "The Blacklist" (2.321 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #9) and "Dateline NBC" (3.304 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T7).

And finally, originals from "Charmed" (0.651 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.2, #10) and "Dynasty" (0.320 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #11) rounded out the night on The CW (0.486 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Magnum P.I.
0.00% - MacGyver
0.00% - WWE SmackDown
0.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - Charmed
0.00% - Dynasty
-14.29% - The Blacklist

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+75.00% - Magnum P.I. (vs. Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat))
+50.00% - The Blacklist (vs. Blindspot)
+40.00% - MacGyver (vs. I Love Lucy Funny Money Special (Repeat))
0.00% - WWE SmackDown (vs. Various)
0.00% - Charmed (vs. Dynasty)
-28.57% - Dateline NBC
-60.00% - Dynasty (vs. Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Repeat))

Source: Nielsen Media Research, ShowBuzzDaily.com





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