or


[05/23/20 - 09:20 AM]
Friday's Broadcast Ratings: FOX, "WWE SmackDown" Top Demos
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 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (5/22/20):

FOX (2.039 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1) was the demo champ on Friday with its weekly presentation of "WWE SmackDown" (2.039 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1).

The most-watched network was CBS (4.356 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) with its repeat lineup of "MacGyver" (4.329 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3), "Magnum P.I." (4.198 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3) and "Blue Bloods" (4.542 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3).

Next up was NBC (2.893 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) with encores of "World of Dance" (2.551 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3) and "Celebrity Escape Room" (3.064 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #2).

Meanwhile, ABC (2.710 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) likewise served up rebroadcasts of "The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II" (2.698 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3) and "20/20" (2.715 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T3).

And finally, The CW (0.767 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with a new "Masters of Illusion" (0.857 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T10) alongside repeats of "Masters of Illusion" (0.751 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T10), "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.699 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T10) and another "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.764 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.2, #9).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - WWE SmackDown
0.00% - Masters of Illusion

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - WWE SmackDown (vs. Various)
0.00% - Masters of Illusion (vs. Dynasty)


Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/24/19):

CBS (4.461 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) was the top draw on Friday with the return of "Whistleblower" (4.009 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) followed by repeats of "Hawaii Five-0" (4.330 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and "Blue Bloods" (5.045 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2).

NBC (3.492 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) then shared in the demo honors with originals from "Blindspot" (3.012 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8) and "Dateline NBC" (3.732 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1).

Next up was ABC (2.630 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) with fresh installments of "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD" (2.369 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and "20/20" (2.761 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.707 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T1) served up encores of "Beat Shazam" (1.872 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and "MasterChef Celebrity Family Showdown, Part Two" (1.541 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8).

And finally, the season finale of "Dynasty" (0.612 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.1, #12) plus repeats of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.609 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T10) and another "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (0.608 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T10) on The CW (0.610 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - 20/20
+25.00% - Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
0.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - Blindspot (vs. 4/19/19)
-50.00% - Dynasty

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (vs. Quantico)
+14.29% - Blindspot (vs. Champions)
0.00% - 20/20 (vs. Shark Tank (Repeat)/20/20)
0.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - Whistleblower (vs. Undercover Boss)
-50.00% - Dynasty (vs. My Last Days)

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

TBA

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [october 2025]  
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
[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 11:28 AM]
"High Potential" Rises to Season High as Show Nears Fall Finale
ABC's popular drama rose to a multiplatform season high in Total Viewers (12.50 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.31 rating) after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.

[10/22/25 - 03:06 PM]
FOX Sports Delivers Most-Watched ALCS Game Since 2017
9,028,000 viewers tuned in across FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes & FOX Sports streaming services for the Toronto Blue Jays' ALCS Game 7 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

[10/22/25 - 08:07 AM]
ESPN College Football on ABC Delivers Top Three Games Across All Networks for Saturday, Oct. 18 - Off to Best Start Since '09
Coverage of Ole Miss at Georgia averaged 9.8 million viewers.

[10/22/25 - 08:03 AM]
FOX NFL's America's Game of the Week Delivers 25,630,000 Average Viewers for Commanders-Cowboys
Season-to-date, the NFL on FOX is off to its best start to the season since 2014, averaging 19,646,000 viewers and up +4% over last year's season-to-date average.

[10/22/25 - 07:44 AM]
"9-1-1: Nashville" Debuts with Over 12 Million Total Audience to Date
The star-studded, high-octane first-responder drama delivered 7.80 million Total Viewers and 1.51 rating among Adults 18-49, excluding encores.

[10/22/25 - 06:21 AM]
ABC's Telecast of Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix Draws Event's Largest TV Audience on Record
Viewership peaked at 1.6 million between 4:15-4:30 p.m. as Max Verstappen drove to victory, further tightening up the battle for the F1 driver's championship with only five races left in the season.

[10/21/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of October 13: "The Woman in Cabin 10" Sails Smoothly to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
In the final stretch to Halloween, those lured in by the story of the OG horror villain put "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" at No. 1 on the English TV list with 9.5 million views.

[10/17/25 - 01:16 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Hits Season Highs with Best Audience Performance Since July
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 139 consecutive weeks across all key measures.

[10/17/25 - 10:38 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues Historic Hot Streak - Rising for Fourth Straight Week Since Premiere with 6 Million Total Viewers
Plus: "High Potential" dominated the 10 p.m. hour with 4.15 million Total Viewers and a 0.33 rating among Adults 18-49.

[10/16/25 - 06:01 AM]
ESPN's Monumental 2025 WNBA Season Sets New Viewership Records
Across all networks, the 2025 WNBA Postseason was the most-viewed since 1999.

[10/15/25 - 04:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's No. 1 Program on Broadcast TV
"20/20" increased its lead week to week over "Dateline" in Total Viewers to post its largest of the season.

[10/15/25 - 04:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 3rd Straight Week
"Nightline" saw double-digit gains in the year-ago week in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[10/14/25 - 03:06 PM]
ESPN Records the Most-Watched WNBA Postseason Ever Across Its Networks
Across 24 games, the '25 WNBA postseason averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 5% from last year.

[10/14/25 - 03:03 PM]
"College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Delivers Most-Watched West Coast Episode Ever; ESPN College Football on ABC Scores Top Three Programs Across All Networks and Content for Saturday, Oct. 11
The Texas Longhorns' upset victory over the Oklahoma Sooners averaged 8.7 million viewers.