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

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (8/31/16):

NBC (7.842 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) was the top draw on Wednesday with its mix of an "America's Got Talent" (6.959 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T3) recap, a new "America's Got Talent" (10.765 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.1, #1) and the season finale of "The Night Shift" (5.801 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #5).

FOX (4.212 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) then claimed the silver with a new "MasterChef" (4.212 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T3).

Next up was CBS (3.988 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) and its trio of "Big Brother 18" (6.198 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #2), "Criminal Minds" (3.203 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11) and "American Gothic" (2.564 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13).

Meanwhile, ABC (2.841 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) opted for repeats of "The Goldbergs" (3.456 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T8), another "The Goldbergs" (3.111 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T6), "Modern Family" (3.149 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T6), "Black-ish" (2.528 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T8), another "Modern Family" (2.530 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T8) and "The Middle" (2.271 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11).

And finally, originals from "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" (1.753 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13) and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (1.368 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T15) plus a repeat "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (1.385 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T15) on The CW (1.565 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us
+9.09% - The Night Shift
0.00% - America's Got Talent
0.00% - MasterChef
0.00% - American Gothic
0.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway?
-10.00% - Big Brother 18

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Whose Line Is It Anyway? (vs. A Wicked Offer)
+75.00% - America's Got Talent (vs. The Carmichael Show)
+25.00% - Penn & Teller: Fool Us (vs. America's Next Top Model)
+9.09% - The Night Shift (vs. Last Comic Standing)
+8.33% - MasterChef (vs. MasterChef/Home Free)
-10.00% - Big Brother 18
-37.50% - American Gothic (vs. Criminal Minds (Repeat))

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," 2.3/6; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 1.6/4; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/4.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.3/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/2.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.2/2 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.1/4 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show" (0.9/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/1).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households and a 0.2/3 in adults 18-49 with an encore 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 (9/2/15):

NBC (5.890 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.3, #1) was the network to beat on Wednesday with its mix of "America's Got Talent" (9.067 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2), "The Carmichael Show" (4.820 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4), another "The Carmichael Show" (3.994 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6) and "Last Comic Standing" (4.197 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6).

CBS (5.415 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T2) then was a close second with its trio of "Big Brother 17" (6.533 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #1), "Extant" (4.779 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #14) and "Criminal Minds" (4.934 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T12).

Sharing the silver with FOX (3.965 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T2) and originals from "MasterChef" (4.560 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) and "Home Free" (3.370 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8).

Next up was ABC (3.357 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) with repeats of "The Middle" (3.838 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10), "The Goldbergs" (3.352 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10), "Modern Family" (4.006 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #5), "Black-ish" (3.232 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8) and the season finale of "Celebrity Wife Swap" (2.858 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T12).

And finally, new episodes of "America's Next Top Model" (1.215 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) and "A Wicked Offer" (0.641 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.2, #16) on The CW (0.928 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the former delivered a 0.6 rating while the latter posted a 0.2 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Home Free
+22.22% - The Carmichael Show - 9:30
+18.18% - The Carmichael Show
+7.14% - MasterChef
+6.25% - America's Got Talent
0.00% - Big Brother 17
0.00% - Last Comic Standing
0.00% - Celebrity Wife Swap
-12.50% - Extant
-20.00% - America's Next Top Model
-33.33% - A Wicked Offer

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+54.55% - America's Got Talent (vs. America's Got Talent (Repeat))
+22.22% - Last Comic Standing (vs. Taxi Brooklyn)
+15.38% - MasterChef (vs. So You Think You Can Dance)
-9.09% - Big Brother 17
-23.08% - Home Free (vs. So You Think You Can Dance)
-27.27% - Celebrity Wife Swap (vs. Modern Family (Repeats))
-31.58% - The Carmichael Show - 9:00 (vs. America's Got Talent)
-33.33% - A Wicked Offer (vs. The 100 (Repeat))
-36.36% - Extant (vs. Criminal Minds (Repeat))
-42.11% - The Carmichael Show - 9:30 (vs. America's Got Talent)
-42.86% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Penn & Teller: Fool Us)

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," 2.7/7; "CBS Summer Showcase," 1.8/5 with an encore; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.9/5.

·In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 1.0/5; "CBS Summer Showcase," 0.3/2 with an encore; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

·From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.1/4 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" (1.2/4 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's "Late Late Show" (0.9/3 with an encore). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.1/1 with an encore).

·At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 with an encore in metered-market households and a 0.2/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research