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[02/18/18 - 03:25 PM]
Saturday's Broadcast Ratings: NBC Cruises to Victory with Winter Olympics
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 10 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (2/17/18):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live events, Fast Nationals for NBC are approximate.]

NBC (13.617 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1) eclipsed the competition on Saturday with its coverage of the "2018 Winter Olympics" (13.617 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1) in primetime.

CBS (2.763 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T2) then was a very distant second with repeats of "MacGyver" (2.371 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4), "NCIS: New Orleans" (2.704 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T9) and a new "48 Hours" (3.215 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2).

Next up was ABC (1.686 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T2) and its repeat lineup of "The Middle" (1.740 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4), another "The Middle" (1.648 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4), "Black-ish" (1.308 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4), another "Black-ish" (1.372 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T4) and "20/20 Saturday" (2.023 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2).

And finally, FOX (1.058 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4) closed out the evening with a "Premier Boxing Champions" (1.058 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T9) special.

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

Late-night metered market ratings will return following NBC's Olympics coverage.


Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (2/18/17):

NBC (3.992 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) took home the top spot on Saturday with its weekend mainstays "Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (4.179 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #2) and "SNL Vintage" (3.619 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1).

The silver then went to ABC (1.808 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #2) with the feature "Flushed Away" (1.568 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T5) and "20/20 Saturday" (2.288 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4).

Next up was CBS (3.449 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) and its trio of "Ransom" (3.100 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T5), "NCIS: New Orleans" (3.115 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T5) and "48 Hours" (4.132 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3).

And finally, encores of "24: Legacy" (0.938 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.2, #9) and "APB" (1.035 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #8) rounded out the night on FOX (0.986 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4).

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

· A Feb. 18 encore of "Saturday Night Live," with host Dave Chappelle and musical guest A Tribe Called Quest, has averaged a 3.6 share, 9 share in households in Nielsen's 56 metered markets and a 1.3/7 in 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

· Excluding the Jan. 7 rebroadcast, which benefited from an NFL Playoff overrun, it's the highest-rated "Saturday Night Live" encore in two years in metered-market households (since Feb. 14, 2015, with an encore of the "SNL" series premiere with host George Carlin and musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston, 3.8).

· Versus what the show averaged last year with February encores, the Feb. 18 "SNL" is up +20% in metered-market households (3.6 vs. 3.0) and up +8% in 18-49 in the local people meters (1.3 vs. 1.2).

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

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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