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[08/22/20 - 08:43 AM]
Friday's Broadcast Ratings: FOX, "WWE SmackDown" Keep Demo Crown
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 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (8/21/20):

FOX (2.168 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1) once again was the demo champ on Friday thanks to "WWE SmackDown" (2.168 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #1).

NBC (2.190 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) and ABC (2.418 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) shared the silver with their respective duos of "America's Got Talent" (2.133 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) and "Dateline NBC" (2.305 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2); and "Shark Tank" (2.746 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2) and "20/20" (2.254 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6).

Next up was CBS (3.544 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) and its trio of "MacGyver" (3.216 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6), "Magnum P.I." (3.404 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6) and "Blue Bloods" (4.011 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T2).

And finally, repeats of "Masters of Illusion" (0.645 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9) and another "Masters of Illusion" (0.515 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9) led into a new "Being Rueben" (0.236 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.0, #T11) and a second "Being Rueben" (0.246 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.0, #T11) to round out the night on The CW (0.411 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - WWE SmackDown
#DIV/0! - Being Rueben - 9:30
#DIV/0! - Being Rueben - 9:00

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - WWE SmackDown (vs. Various)
-100.00% - Being Rueben - 9:30 (vs. Hypnotize Me (Repeat))
-100.00% - Being Rueben - 9:00 (vs. Hypnotize Me (Repeat))


Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (8/23/19):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Some high rated local pre-season NFL games (across all networks) are included here but will be excluded from Officials.]

CBS (3.525 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1) was the network to beat on Friday with its coverage of "NFL Preseason: Buffalo at Detroit" (3.525 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.7, #1).

ABC (2.896 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) then was the number two draw with its mix of "American Housewife" (2.871 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3), "Fresh Off the Boat" (2.300 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3), "What Would You Do?" (3.066 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3) and "20/20" (3.036 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T3).

Sharing the silver was NBC (2.522 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) with repeats of "American Ninja Warrior" (2.286 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #7) and "Dateline NBC" (2.994 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.092 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) offered up encores of "BH90210" (1.044 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8) and "MasterChef" (1.139 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T8).

And finally, new episodes of "Masters of Illusion" (0.889 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.2, #10) and "The Big Stage" (0.632 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T11) plus a repeat "Hypnotize Me" (0.436 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T11) on The CW (0.598 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - What Would You Do?
0.00% - Masters of Illusion (vs. 8/9/19)
0.00% - The Big Stage (vs. 8/9/19)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
-16.67% - What Would You Do?
-50.00% - Masters of Illusion (vs. Masters of Illusion (Repeat))
-75.00% - The Big Stage (vs. Masters of Illusion (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," 1.5/4 with an encore telecast; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 1.7/5 with an encore; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4 with an encore.

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

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 0.9/3 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, ratings were: "Late Night with Seth Meyers," 0.9/3 in metered-market households with an encore; CBS's "Late Late Show," 0.9/3 with an encore. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.2/2 in 18-49 with an encore; "Late Late Show," 0.2/2 with an encore.

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.6/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.1/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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