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[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





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