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[05/23/13 - 08:29 AM]
Wednesday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS Tops Viewers, Splits Demos with ABC
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, may 22, 2013)

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (8.982 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T1) was the most-watched network on the final night of the May sweeps period with its mix of "Two and a Half Men" (5.310 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14) and "Mike & Molly" (5.378 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #13) repeats followed by a new "Criminal Minds" (10.570 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) and the season finale of "Criminal Minds" (11.034 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2).

ABC (6.922 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T1) then shared the demo crown with its lineup of the "The Middle" (7.533 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T6) season finale, a repeat of "Modern Family" (5.622 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10), the season finale of "Modern Family" (9.922 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.6, #1), a new "How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)" (6.324 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T4) and the season closer to "Nashville" (6.065 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8).

Next up was FOX (5.242 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with the return of "MasterChef" (5.092 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T6) alongside a second hour of "MasterChef" (5.392 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T4).

Meanwhile, NBC (6.344 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up a new "Dateline NBC" (6.186 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12) plus the respective season finales of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.680 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10) and "Chicago Fire" (6.167 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9).

And finally, the feature "Love Happens" (1.118 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) on The CW (1.118 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the film delivered a 0.4 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+10.00% - How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)
+7.69% - Dateline NBC
+6.67% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
+5.56% - Nashville
+5.26% - The Middle
+4.00% - Criminal Minds
+2.86% - Modern Family
-10.53% - Chicago Fire

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+81.25% - Criminal Minds - 10:00 (vs. Criminal Minds (Repeat))
+77.78% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
+62.50% - Criminal Minds - 9:00 (vs. Criminal Minds (Repeat))
0.00% - The Middle
-6.67% - Dateline NBC (vs. Betty White's Off Their Rockers/Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Repeat))
-10.00% - Modern Family
-10.53% - Chicago Fire (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
-12.00% - How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) (vs. Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23)
-20.83% - Nashville (vs. Revenge)
-63.93% - MasterChef - 9:00 (vs. American Idol)
-67.21% - MasterChef - 8:00 (vs. American Idol)

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

* In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 Wednesday results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.6/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.8/4.

* From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET Wednesday night, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.4/4 in metered-market households and a 0.5/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

* From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.


Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/23/12):

The two-hour season finale of "American Idol" (20.71 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.1, #1) not surprisingly put FOX (20.71 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.1, #1) on top for the final night of the 2011-12 season. Said broadcast however was down 31.46% from last year's finale among adults 18-49.

ABC (7.30 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) then claimed a distant second place with the season finale of "The Middle" (6.51 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T5), a repeat of "Modern Family" (6.03 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T5) and the respective finales of "Modern Family" (9.99 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.0, #2), "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" (5.74 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) and "Revenge" (7.76 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #4).

Next up was CBS (5.87 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) with its all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (5.59 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10), "Two and a Half Men" (4.41 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #13), "Criminal Minds" (6.38 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8) and a second "Criminal Minds" (6.25 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.38 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up the season finale of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (5.47 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10), repeats of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (5.33 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.77 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14) plus the season finale of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.98 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #7).

And finally, a repeat of "America's Next Top Model" (0.86 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T15) and a new "America's Next Top Model" (0.92 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T15) on The CW (0.89 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) closed out the evening. Women 18-34 numbers will be available later today.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+45.24% - American Idol (vs. 5/17/12)
+25.00% - Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
+20.00% - Revenge
+11.76% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
+7.14% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers
+5.26% - The Middle
+2.56% - Modern Family
-20.00% - America's Next Top Model

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers (vs. Minute to Win It (Repeat))
+35.71% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Los Angeles)
+29.73% - Revenge (vs. Cougar Town/Happy Endings (10:30))
+25.00% - Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (vs. Cougar Town)
0.00% - America's Next Top Model (vs. America's Next Top Model (Repeat))
-2.44% - Modern Family
-9.09% - The Middle
-31.46% - American Idol

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

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.2/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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