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

Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (3/4/17):

CBS (2.865 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) claimed the top spot on Saturday with a new "Ransom" (3.202 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) and its special "Showtime Championship Boxing on CBS" (2.696 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1).

NBC (2.767 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) then offered up encores of "Chicago Fire" (2.105 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6), "Chicago PD" (2.760 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) and "Chicago Justice" (3.435 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2).

Sharing the silver was ABC (1.698 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and its presentation of "NBA Countdown" (1.657 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T6) and "NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC" (1.706 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3).

And finally, encores of "24: Legacy" (0.720 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T8) and "APB" (0.982 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T8) on FOX (0.851 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4) rounded out the night.

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

· "Saturday Night Live" has generated the show's second-highest overnight rating since Nov. 12.

· The March 4 telecast, hosted by Octavia Spencer and featuring musical guest Father John Misty, scored a 5.2 rating, 14 share in "live plus same day" household results from the 56 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 2.3/12 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· The 5.2 in household rating ranks as the second strongest "Saturday Night Live" local-market result since the Nov. 12 telecast (with host Dave Chappelle and musical guest A Tribe Called Quest, 6.2), which was the first "SNL" to follow the Presidential election, trailing over that span only the Feb. 11 edition (with host Alec Baldwin and musical guest Ed Sheeran, 7.2).

· Versus what "Saturday Night Live" averaged with originals for the month of March last year, last night's telecast is up +30% in meter-market households (5.2 vs. 4.0) and up +21% in 18-49 in the local people meters (2.3 vs. 1.9 for the month of March 2016).

· The 5.2 rating in households beats results for the final 12 "Saturday Night Live" originals from last season, while the 2.3 in 18-49 in the local people meters tops last season's final nine first-runs.

· Last night's "Saturday Night Live" was the #1 telecast of the night on the broadcast networks in both metered-market households and in 18-49 in the local people meters, outrating every Saturday primetime telecast on those nets in both categories.

· Compared with all primetime programming on the Big 4 networks this week, "SNL's" 2.3 would be tied for #4 in 18-49 in the local people meters, behind only Monday's "Voice" (3.1), Monday's "Bachelor" (2.6) and Wednesday's "Modern Family" (2.4) and tied with Tuesday's "Voice" (2.3).

Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/5/16):

NBC (4.271 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1) was the network to beat on Saturday with its duo of "Dateline NBC" (4.934 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T1) and a repeat "Saturday Night Live" (2.946 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T1).

CBS (3.864 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) then claimed the silver with repeats of "NCIS: Los Angeles" (3.406 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T5) and "48 Hours" (3.223 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T5) plus a new "48 Hours" (4.962 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T1).

Next up was ABC (1.747 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #3) and its coverage of "NBA Countdown" (1.458 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7) and "NBA on ABC" (1.805 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4).

And finally, repeats of "Rosewood" (1.300 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7) and "Lucifer" (1.290 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T7) on FOX (1.294 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) closed out the night.

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

· The March 5 telecast of "Saturday Night Live," with host Jonah Hill and musical guest Future, averaged a 4.0 rating, 10 share in household results from the 56 markets metered-by Nielsen Media Research and a 1.8/9 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· "Saturday Night Live" was the #1 telecast of the night on the Big 4 networks in both metered-market households and in 18-49 in the local people meters, outrating all primetime programming on those networks in both categories. In 18-49 in the local people meters, "SNL" more than doubled each primetime Big 4 program last night.

· "SNL" maintained 100% of its rating for the same night last year in metered-market households (4.0 vs 4.0 on March 7, 2015).

· Note that "SNL" adds significant viewership via time-shifting, with originals growing by +48% going from L+SD to L+7 in adults 18-49 (1.98 to 2.94) and +2.260 million persons in total viewers (6.509 million to 8.769 million).

Source: Nielsen Media Research