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[10/18/19 - 08:13 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: FOX, "Thursday Night Football" Cruise to Victory
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 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (10/17/19):

[Note: Fast affiliate ratings are inaccurate for live sports.]

FOX (9.745 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #1) cruised to another victory on Thursday with its weekly presentations of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (8.427 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (10.009 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1).

ABC (3.988 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) remained a distant second with its trio of "Grey's Anatomy" (5.725 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3), "A Million Little Things" (4.043 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (2.196 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #13).

Next up was CBS (5.222 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) and its lineup of "Young Sheldon" (7.751 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4), "The Unicorn" (5.278 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7), "Mom" (5.764 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Carol's Second Act" (4.972 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7) and "Evil" (3.784 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T7).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.510 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) served up new episodes of "Superstore" (2.993 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Perfect Harmony" (2.091 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #14), "The Good Place" (2.019 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11), the departing "Sunnyside" (1.222 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.369 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11).

And finally, fresh installments of "Supernatural" (1.156 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15) and "Legacies" (0.846 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.2, #17) on The CW (1.001 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+40.00% - Evil
+16.67% - Carol's Second Act
0.00% - Mom
0.00% - Superstore
0.00% - The Unicorn
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - The Good Place
0.00% - How to Get Away with Murder
0.00% - Perfect Harmony
0.00% - Sunnyside
-7.69% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
-7.69% - Grey's Anatomy
-10.00% - Young Sheldon
-12.50% - A Million Little Things
-18.92% - Thursday Night Football
-25.00% - Supernatural
-33.33% - Legacies

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+42.86% - Thursday Night Football
+41.18% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
+26.32% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Various (Repeats))
0.00% - Evil (vs. SWAT)
0.00% - Superstore
-12.50% - A Million Little Things (vs. Station 19)
-22.22% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-28.57% - How to Get Away with Murder
-33.33% - Legacies (vs. Charmed (Repeat))
-33.33% - The Good Place (vs. Will & Grace)
-38.46% - Mom
-40.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-40.00% - Supernatural
-50.00% - Perfect Harmony (vs. The Good Place)
-50.00% - Sunnyside (vs. I Feel Bad)
-55.00% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory)
-58.82% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon)

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

TBA


Here are the highlights of the 18 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/18/18):

[Note: Fast affiliate ratings are inaccurate for live sports.]

FOX (6.589 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #1) was still the demo champ on Thursday despite a blowout Broncos-Cardinals game with "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (6.024 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T3) and "Thursday Night Football" (6.702 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #1).

CBS (8.084 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2) then took home the silver with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (12.000 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2), "Young Sheldon" (10.800 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T3), "Mom" (8.195 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #5), "Murphy Brown" (6.488 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T8) and "SWAT" (5.512 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T14).

Next up was NBC (3.254 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #3) with fresh installments from "Superstore" (3.219 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10), "The Good Place" (2.801 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10), "Will & Grace" (3.333 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T8), "I Feel Bad" (2.253 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #16) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.960 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #7).

Meanwhile, ABC (3.594 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) offered up its annual specials "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (4.522 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #6) and "Toy Story of Terror!" (3.269 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10) plus originals from "Station 19" (4.137 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (2.749 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T14).

And finally, a new "Supernatural" (1.508 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.5, #17) and a repeat "Charmed" (0.982 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 0.3, #18) rounded out the evening on The CW (1.245 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+12.50% - Will & Grace
+11.11% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - Superstore
0.00% - The Good Place
0.00% - I Feel Bad
0.00% - Supernatural
-5.56% - Young Sheldon
-7.14% - Mom
-9.09% - The Big Bang Theory
-10.00% - Murphy Brown
-12.50% - SWAT
-12.50% - How to Get Away with Murder
-34.62% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
-38.24% - Thursday Night Football
-38.46% - Station 19

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+200.00% - Thursday Night Football (vs. Gotham/The Orville (Repeat))
+112.50% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game (vs. Gotham)
+5.26% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. Thursday Night Football Pre-Game)
-9.09% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Chicago Fire)
-16.67% - Supernatural
-22.22% - How to Get Away with Murder (vs. How to Get Away with Murder)
-25.00% - I Feel Bad (vs. Good News)
-27.27% - Superstore
-27.27% - The Good Place
-27.27% - Station 19 (vs. Scandal)
-39.29% - Young Sheldon (vs. Thursday Night Football)
-47.06% - Will & Grace
-53.57% - Mom (vs. Thursday Night Football)
-67.86% - Murphy Brown (vs. Thursday Night Football)
-75.00% - SWAT (vs. Thursday Night Football)

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," 1.5/4 with an encore telecast; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 2.8/7; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.7/4.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.5/3 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.3/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.2/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/2 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, ratings were: "Late Night with Seth Meyers," 0.9/3 in metered-market households with an encore; CBS's "Late Late Show," 1.2/5. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.3/2 in 18-49 with an encore; "Late Late Show," 0.2/2.

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.6/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.2/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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