or


[01/22/21 - 09:26 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC's Game Shows Hold Off Competition
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 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (1/21/21):

ABC (4.352 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) was still the network to beat on Thursday with its trio of "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" (6.093 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T1), "The Chase" (4.307 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T3) and "The Hustler" (2.656 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T8).

A close second was FOX (2.483 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) with its mix of "Hell's Kitchen" (2.470 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T3), "Call Me Kat" (2.452 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T8) and "Last Man Standing" (2.541 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T11).

Next up was CBS (4.009 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) with the return of "Young Sheldon" (7.149 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T1), "B Positive" (5.035 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5), "Mom" (4.916 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5) and "The Unicorn" (3.454 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T11) plus "Star Trek: Discovery" (1.748 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T16).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.084 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) offered up its lineup of "Mr. Mayor" (3.091 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T8), "Superstore" (2.155 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T11), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.633 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5) and "Dateline NBC" (2.996 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15).

And finally, The CW (1.574 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night with the premiere of "Walker" (2.431 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T11) alongside the return of "Legacies" (0.717 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T16).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Star Trek: Discovery
+20.00% - B Positive
+20.00% - Mom
+14.29% - Young Sheldon
0.00% - Hell's Kitchen
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - Mr. Mayor
0.00% - Call Me Kat
0.00% - The Unicorn
-12.50% - The Chase
-16.67% - The Hustler
-20.00% - Last Man Standing
-20.00% - Superstore
-25.00% - Dateline NBC
-27.27% - Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Walker (vs. Supernatural)
+50.00% - B Positive (vs. The Unicorn (Repeat))
+50.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Will & Grace/Perfect Harmony)
+20.00% - Mom (vs. Young Sheldon (Repeat))
+14.29% - Young Sheldon (vs. Young Sheldon (Repeat))
0.00% - Call Me Kat (vs. Deputy)
0.00% - Legacies
-6.67% - Hell's Kitchen (vs. Last Man Standing/Outmatched)
-20.00% - The Unicorn (vs. Mom (Repeat))
-20.00% - Last Man Standing (vs. Deputy)
-25.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
-28.57% - Mr. Mayor (vs. Superstore)
-33.33% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. The Gayle King Grammy Special)
-33.33% - Superstore (vs. The Good Place)
-33.33% - Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (vs. Station 19)
-37.50% - The Hustler (vs. A Million Little Things)
-50.00% - The Chase (vs. Grey's Anatomy)


Here are the highlights of the 18 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/23/20):

ABC (5.943 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1) pulled into the top spot on Thursday with the return of "Station 19" (6.981 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2), "Grey's Anatomy" (6.648 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #1) and "A Million Little Things" (4.200 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T3).

The silver went to FOX (3.508 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) with a new "Last Man Standing" (4.445 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T3), the premiere of "Outmatched" (3.233 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T5) and a new "Deputy" (3.178 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9).

Next up was CBS (3.788 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) with repeats of "Young Sheldon" (5.584 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T5), "The Unicorn" (3.800 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T13), another "Young Sheldon" (4.116 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9) and "Mom" (3.973 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9) plus "The Gayle King Grammy Special" (2.627 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.225 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) served up originals from "Superstore" (2.733 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T5), "The Good Place" (2.106 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.6, #8) and "Will & Grace" (2.302 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9) alongside the season finale of "Perfect Harmony" (1.420 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15) and a repeat "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.394 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T13).

And finally, fresh installments of "Supernatural" (1.015 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T17) and "Legacies" (0.718 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T17) closed out the night on The CW (0.867 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Will & Grace
+20.00% - The Good Place
+16.67% - Superstore
+7.69% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Last Man Standing
0.00% - A Million Little Things (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Perfect Harmony
0.00% - Legacies
-16.67% - Deputy
-33.33% - Supernatural

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Last Man Standing (vs. Gotham)
+33.33% - A Million Little Things (vs. How to Get Away with Murder)
+27.27% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. A Million Little Things)
+16.67% - Outmatched
-25.00% - Station 19 (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
-28.57% - Deputy (vs. The Orville)
-33.33% - Legacies
-41.67% - Superstore (vs. The Titan Games)
-50.00% - Will & Grace (vs. Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
-50.00% - The Good Place (vs. The Titan Games)
-50.00% - Supernatural
-50.00% - The Gayle King Grammy Special (vs. SWAT (Repeat))
-62.50% - Perfect Harmony (vs. The Good Place)

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [august 2026]  
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
[08/19/26 - 12:01 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of August 10
"Reacher," "Sterling Point," "Off Campus," "The Traitors," and "Elle" led all original series worldwide.

[08/19/26 - 10:02 AM]
2026 Little League Baseball Region Tournaments Deliver Largest Audience Since 2009
The Metro Region Championship matchup between Darien, Conn., and Bayonne, N.J., on August 14 averaged 1.2 million viewers, making it the third most-watched Little League Baseball Region Tournament game ever.

[08/19/26 - 09:31 AM]
For Third Week in a Row, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Is the No. 1 Primetime Entertainment Program Among Total Viewers
Scoring a new season high among Total Viewers (4.41 million), the August 12 episode earned the show's best performance in over a year.

[08/18/26 - 03:05 PM]
ESPN Delivers Its Most-Watched WNBA Game Ever!
The Atlanta Dream-Indiana Fever matchup averaged 2.6 million viewers on Sunday, August 16.

[08/18/26 - 03:04 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Sizzles with Most-Watched MLB Telecast of the Week on Any Network
3,083,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX for a three-game slate highlighted by the Brewers' 4-1 win over the Dodgers in most of the country.

[08/18/26 - 02:43 PM]
FOX IndyCar Celebrates Viewership Win at Markham
913,000 viewers watched Andretti Global racer Marcus Ericsson cap a late-race run through the field to score the win at Markham Sunday on FOX.

[08/18/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 10 - "My Life with the Walter Boys" Lassos No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes" launched in the No. 2 spot on the English TV list, gathering 4.9 million views.

[08/14/26 - 01:45 PM]
ABC News Is No. 1 on Sunday Morning and Friday Night
"20/20" saw year-to-year increases in all key target demos: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[08/13/26 - 03:39 PM]
ESPN Delivers Its Second Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Game in 30 Years of Coverage!
The New York Liberty-Indiana Fever matchup averaged 2 million viewers on Tuesday, August 11.

[08/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Jumps to Best Audience in Three Months
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 182 consecutive weeks (more than three years) across all key measures.

[08/12/26 - 12:01 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of August 3
"Sterling Point," "Ride or Die," "Off Campus," "Reacher," and "Elle" led all original series worldwide.

[08/11/26 - 02:45 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Delivers #1 MLB Telecast of the Week on Any Network
2,223,000 viewers tuned-in to a three-game slate that featured the White Sox's 6-3 victory over the Guardians in most of the country.

[08/11/26 - 02:43 PM]
ESPN Delivers Its 2nd Most-Watched WNBA Game Ever for the Second Consecutive Week!
The Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky matchup averaged 2.6 million viewers on ABC on Saturday, August 8.

[08/11/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 3 - "The Last House" Invites You to Stay at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare" held the top spot on the English TV list with 10.6 million views.

[08/10/26 - 10:37 AM]
Discovery's Shark Week Delivers Best Ratings in Seven Years
Primetime telecasts averaged a 0.77 L3 rating among Adults 25-54, marking the largest year-over-year increase in 13 years and the first year of ratings growth since 2023.