or


[05/22/14 - 08:27 AM]
Wednesday's Broadcast Ratings: "Idol" Tops Final Night of May Sweeps
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 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (5/21/14):

FOX (10.142 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) closed out the 2014-15 season on top with the season finale of "American Idol" (10.142 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T1).

CBS (8.886 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then claimed the silver with its two-hour finale for "Survivor: Cagayan" (9.502 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) followed by the "Survivor: Cagayan - The Reunion" (7.654 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #5).

Next up was ABC (6.240 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3) with a new "The Middle" (7.176 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #6) alongside the season finales of "The Middle" (7.888 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #4), "Modern Family" (10.233 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.6, #T1) and "Mixology" (4.013 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #9) plus the return of "Motive" (4.064 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.9, #11).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.567 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) served up its season closers for "Revolution" (4.205 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #10), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.275 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T7) and "Chicago PD" (6.222 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T7).

And finally, a repeat "The 100" (0.801 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #13) and a new "The 100" (1.422 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #12) on The CW (1.111 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) rounded out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "100" delivered a 0.1 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 0.3 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+30.00% - American Idol (vs. 5/15/14)
+16.13% - Modern Family
+6.67% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - Survivor: Cagayan
0.00% - Chicago PD
0.00% - Mixology
0.00% - Revolution
-5.26% - The Middle
-16.67% - The 100

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+66.67% - The 100 (vs. Love Happens (Repeat))
+32.98% - Survivor: Cagayan (vs. Two and a Half Men (Repeat)/Mike & Molly (Repeat)/Criminal Minds)
+31.25% - The Middle - 8:30 (vs. Modern Family (Repeat))
+23.81% - American Idol (vs. MasterChef)
0.00% - Modern Family
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-5.88% - Chicago PD (vs. Chicago Fire)
-10.00% - The Middle - 8:00
-21.43% - Revolution (vs. Dateline NBC)
-31.03% - Survivor: Cagayan - The Reunion (vs. Criminal Minds)
-40.91% - Mixology (vs. How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life))
-52.63% - Motive (vs. Nashville)

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

· In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.8/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.0/5; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.1/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 1.2/5; "Late Show," 0.3/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.3/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.0/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/1).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.


Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/22/13):

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.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [may 2014]  
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
[05/05/26 - 03:52 PM]
ESPN Networks Aired Its Most Viewed First Round of the Current Rights Deal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
ESPN also delivered three of the top five matchups in the First Round including the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 1 (2.1 million viewers).

[05/05/26 - 03:36 PM]
NBC and Peacock Deliver the Most-Watched First Round Game 7 in NBA History for Saturday Night's 76ers-Celtics
Saturday night's matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 11.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.

[05/05/26 - 02:24 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Flexes Double-Digit Season-to-Date Viewership Increase
2,130,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX on Saturday, May 2, for a two-game slate highlighted by the Cardinals' 3-2 Victory over the Dodgers in most of the country.

[05/05/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 27 - The Hunt Continues as "Apex" Takes No. 1 for a Second Week
Plus: Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but "Man on Fire" served it up hot, reaching No. 1 on the English TV list with 11 million views.

[05/03/26 - 02:40 PM]
NBC Sports Delivers the Most-Watched Kentucky Derby on Record, Averaging 19.6 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock in Historic "Run for the Roses"
Viewership peaked at 24.4 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET, as jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo around the final turn to win by a neck over Renegade, and made Cherie DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.

[05/01/26 - 01:33 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Jumps Back from Spring Break with Fifth Straight Week of Growth Among Both Total Viewers and Households
Dominating the New York market, "Live with Kelly and Mark" towers over its closest competition this season by double and triple digits in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54.

[05/01/26 - 08:05 AM]
NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership on NBC & Peacock Up 58% vs. Comparable Coverage Last Year Through First 13 Games
This is the first time in 24 years that NBC Sports is presenting the NBA Playoffs.

[04/30/26 - 02:17 PM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers Sunday Morning and in Late-Night
ABC News' "Nightline" ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers (931,000) for the week of April 20.

[04/29/26 - 04:01 PM]
"American Idol" Scores 5.3 Million Total Viewers with Biggest Audience in Over 2 Months During Taylor Swift Night
Monday's episode was the No. 1 entertainment program on the night among Total Viewers (5.34 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.42 rating).

[04/29/26 - 02:41 PM]
Record Breaker! ESPN Airs Most-Viewed First Round Game 5 Ever on Cable, Extending Milestone Run of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday averaged 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year.

[04/28/26 - 03:41 PM]
TNT Sports Continues Viewership Surge for 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
Minnesota's Game 4 victory over Dallas on Saturday averaged 1.9 million viewers on TBS, truTV and HBO Max.

[04/28/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 20 - Charlize Theron Climbs to No. 1 with "Apex" in This Week's Top 10
Another warning to be careful who you trust, the psychological thriller series "Unchosen" debuted at No. 1 on the English TV list with 10.4 million views.

[04/27/26 - 01:49 PM]
Food Network's "Tournament of Champions VII" Delivers Impressive Ratings in Key Demos
On average the seventh season garnered 1.00 P25-54 / 1.26 W25-54 L3 ratings and remains on track to be Food Network's highest-rated series among P25-54 for the sixth year in a row.

[04/24/26 - 08:59 AM]
NBA Playoffs Return to NBC Sports Delivers Big Viewership Gains Over First Three Nights
NBC Sports' first six NBA Playoff games averaged 4.9 million viewers, up 38% vs. comparable coverage last year and the most-watched for the first Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights of the playoffs since 1994.

[04/23/26 - 03:13 PM]
"Euphoria" Season 3 Premiere Surpasses 20M Global Viewers, Up 68% vs. Season 2
Episode 2 matched the premiere with approximately 8.5 million U.S. viewers in its first three days.