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

Here are the highlights of the 10 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (10/22/20):

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

FOX (7.006 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.1, #1) led the demo race on Thursday with telecasts of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (7.351 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T1) and "Thursday Night Football" (6.937 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T1).

ABC (7.612 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) then was the most-watched network with its duo of "Trump vs Biden: The Final Presidential Debate - A Special Edition of 20/20" (5.180 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7) and "The Final Presidential Debate - Your Voice Your Vote 2020" (8.827 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3).

Next up was NBC (6.773 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) with its own "Decision 2020: Pre-Debate Special" (4.219 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7) and "NBC News: Presidential Debate #2" (8.050 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3).

Meanwhile, CBS (4.472 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) served up "Big Brother 22" (4.340 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5) alongside "CBS News: The Second Presidential Debate" (4.538 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5).

And finally, originals from "Supernatural" (0.925 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #9) and "The Outpost" (0.464 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.1, #10) rounded out the night on The CW (0.694 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - Big Brother 22
0.00% - Supernatural
0.00% - The Outpost
-8.70% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game (vs. 10/8/20)
-32.26% - Thursday Night Football (vs. 10/8/20)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Decision 2020: Pre-Debate Special (vs. Superstore/Perfect Harmony)
+5.26% - Big Brother 22 (vs. Young Sheldon/The Unicorn)
+5.00% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
0.00% - Supernatural (vs. Supernatural)
-27.59% - Thursday Night Football
-28.30% - The Final Presidential Debate - Your Voice Your Vote 2020 (vs. 10/19/16)
-28.30% - NBC News: Presidential Debate #2 (vs. 10/19/16)
-38.46% - Trump vs Biden: The Final Presidential Debate - A Special Edition of 20/20 (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
-50.00% - The Outpost (vs. Legacies)
-51.92% - CBS News: The Second Presidential Debate (vs. 10/19/16)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/24/19):

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

FOX (9.922 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #1) was still the network to beat on Thursday with its weekly telecasts of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (8.027 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (10.301 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #1).

ABC (4.285 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) then remained the silver draw with its trio of "Grey's Anatomy" (6.053 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3), "A Million Little Things" (4.387 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (2.415 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T12).

Next up was CBS (5.502 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) with originals from "Young Sheldon" (8.497 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4), "The Unicorn" (5.875 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Mom" (6.354 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Carol's Second Act" (5.114 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9) and "Evil" (3.588 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T12).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.747 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up new episodes of "Superstore" (2.932 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Perfect Harmony" (2.067 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15), "The Good Place" (1.943 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.6, #11), the return of "Will & Grace" (2.276 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T12) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.631 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9).

And finally, fresh installments from "Supernatural" (1.246 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #16) and "Legacies" (0.883 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.2, #17) rounded out the evening over on The CW (1.064 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+28.57% - A Million Little Things
+22.22% - Young Sheldon
+16.67% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
+14.29% - The Unicorn
8.33% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Mom
0.00% - Superstore
0.00% - Carol's Second Act
0.00% - The Good Place
0.00% - How to Get Away with Murder
0.00% - Perfect Harmony
0.00% - Supernatural
0.00% - Legacies
-3.33% - Thursday Night Football
-16.67% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
-28.57% - Evil

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+7.41% - Thursday Night Football
0.00% - A Million Little Things (vs. Station 19)
0.00% - Supernatural
0.00% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
0.00% - Will & Grace (vs. I Feel Bad)
-11.11% - Superstore
-12.50% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-13.33% - Grey's Anatomy
-22.22% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-28.57% - How to Get Away with Murder
-28.57% - Evil (vs. SWAT)
-33.33% - Mom
-33.33% - Legacies
-33.33% - The Good Place (vs. Will & Grace)
-50.00% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory)
-50.00% - Perfect Harmony (vs. The Good Place)
-52.94% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon)

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

TBA

Source: Nielsen Media Research