or


[12/04/20 - 08:35 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Tops Demo Race with "Grey's Anatomy"
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 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (12/3/20):

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

ABC (4.966 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #1) pulled in front on Thursday thanks to its trio of "Station 19" (5.382 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T2), "Grey's Anatomy" (5.673 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #1) and "A Million Little Things" (3.844 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5).

CBS (4.171 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) was the number two draw with its lineup of "Young Sheldon" (7.270 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T2), "B Positive" (5.199 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5), "Mom" (5.167 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5), "The Unicorn" (3.617 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #9) and "Star Trek: Discovery" (1.887 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T11).

Next up was NBC (4.070 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T2) and its mix of "The Voice Holiday Celebration" (5.270 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.036 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5) and "Dateline NBC" (2.904 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #10).

Meanwhile, FOX (0.840 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4) opted for coverage of the "MLS Playoffs 2020: Western Conference Semifinal" (0.840 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T11).

And finally, The CW (0.591 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night with "iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Greatest Moments" (0.526 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13), a new "World's Funniest Animals" (0.615 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13) and a repeat "World's Funniest Animals" (0.696 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T13).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Dateline NBC (vs. 11/19/20)
+20.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Young Sheldon (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - B Positive (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Mom (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - The Unicorn (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. 11/19/20)
0.00% - World's Funniest Animals (vs. 11/27/20)
-11.11% - Station 19 (vs. 11/19/20)
-14.29% - A Million Little Things (vs. 11/19/20)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Same Time, Next Christmas)
+16.67% - The Voice Holiday Celebration (vs. A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (Repeat))
0.00% - A Million Little Things (vs. Same Time, Next Christmas)
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (Repeat))
0.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. Making It)
-16.67% - The Unicorn (vs. Carol's Second Act)
-20.00% - Station 19 (vs. A Charlie Brown Christmas (Repeat))
-25.00% - B Positive (vs. The Unicorn)
-25.00% - Mom
-27.27% - Young Sheldon
-60.00% - Star Trek: Discovery (vs. Evil)
-66.67% - iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Greatest Moments (vs. Supernatural)
-66.67% - World's Funniest Animals (vs. Legacies)
-94.59% - MLS Playoffs 2020: Western Conference Semifinal (vs. Thursday Night Football)


Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/5/19):

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

FOX (13.638 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1) got another boost on Thursday with its presentations of "Thursday Night Football Pre-Game" (11.582 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) and "Thursday Night Football" (14.049 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1).

ABC (4.124 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) then was a distant second with its annual telecast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (4.954 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) followed by the original movie "Same Time, Next Christmas" (3.709 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7).

Next up was CBS (5.263 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) and its mix of "Young Sheldon" (8.390 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3), "The Unicorn" (5.832 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Mom" (5.981 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T5), "Carol's Second Act" (4.685 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and "Evil" (3.346 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #10).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.651 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) offered up "A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special" (3.125 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T7) and a new "Making It" (1.702 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11).

And finally, The CW (0.962 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) rounded out the night with new episodes from "Supernatural" (1.066 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12) and "Legacies" (0.857 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Supernatural (vs. 11/21/19)
+50.00% - Legacies (vs. 11/21/19)
+44.44% - Thursday Night Football (vs. 11/21/19)
+31.82% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game (vs. 11/21/19)
+14.29% - The Unicorn (vs. 11/21/19)
+10.00% - Young Sheldon (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Mom (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Carol's Second Act (vs. 11/21/19)
0.00% - Evil (vs. 11/21/19)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+70.59% - Thursday Night Football Pre-Game
+69.57% - Thursday Night Football
0.00% - Making It (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
-14.29% - Same Time, Next Christmas (vs. The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition)
-25.00% - Legacies
-25.00% - Carol's Second Act (vs. Murphy Brown)
-28.57% - Evil (vs. SWAT)
-33.33% - Mom
-40.00% - Supernatural
-47.62% - Young Sheldon (vs. The Big Bang Theory)
-50.00% - The Unicorn (vs. Young Sheldon)

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [december 2020]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[12/11/25 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Target Demos
The series also saw gains on the same week last year in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[12/10/25 - 02:59 PM]
FOX NFL Scores Massive Week 14 Viewership
28 million viewers watched FOX Sports' Week 14 "America's Game of the Week," featuring the Green Bay Packers divisional win over the Chicago Bears.

[12/10/25 - 12:08 PM]
NBCU's November to Remember Showcases the Power of Company's Programming
"All Her Fault" became the most-watched original series launch in Peacock history with 46 million hours.

[12/10/25 - 09:54 AM]
ABC Unwraps Holiday Presentations of Fan Favorite Shows
"Dancing with the Holidays" was the top-performing holiday-themed special across the broadcast networks among Adults 18-49 in two years.

[12/09/25 - 04:11 PM]
"College GameDay" Delivers Second Most-Watched Conference Championship Episode Ever; ABC/ESPN Score Second Most-Watched Conference Championship Week Since 2014
The SEC Championship delivered 16.9 million viewers on Saturday, December 6.

[12/09/25 - 02:03 PM]
18.3 Million Viewers Tuned in for Big Ten Championship Game on FOX
Indiana's win peaked with 19,993,000 viewers from 11:00-11:15 PM ET.

[12/08/25 - 11:30 AM]
College Football on The CW Network Sees Double Digit Year-Over-Year Viewership Gains for 2025 Season
ACC football experienced the largest year-over-year growth, up 26% in total audience compared to 2024.

[12/05/25 - 03:31 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers
"Nightline" improved on the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, hitting nine-week highs in both measures.

[12/05/25 - 02:05 PM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Best College Football Regular Season Since 2011; "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Scores Most-Watched Season Ever
ESPN networks aired the most-watched game in 34 of 42 key Saturday windows, including seven of 14 noon windows, 13 of 14 late afternoon windows and all 14 prime windows.

[12/05/25 - 12:35 PM]
2025 CFB Viewership Surges on FOX & FS1
The 2025 regular season wrapped with big numbers for "Big Noon Saturday," "Big Noon Kickoff" and more - including year-over-year gains across the board.

[12/05/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Premiere Week Episodes Post Gains and Lead In Live Plus 35-Day Multiplatform Viewership
"Tracker" delivered 17.3 million viewers, up +6% versus its year-ago premiere.

[12/05/25 - 08:45 AM]
ESPN Delivered Most-Watched Women's College Volleyball Season on Record
Said coverage averaged 190,000 viewers, up 36% from the 2024 season.

[12/04/25 - 04:19 PM]
"College GameDay Built By The Home Depot" Delivers Second-Best Regular Season Episode Ever; ESPN Scores Best Rivalry Week Since 2012
The Lone Star Showdown drew over 13 million viewers, peaking with 14.3 million viewers.

[12/04/25 - 03:45 PM]
"Big Noon Kickoff" Scores 4.36 Million Viewers on FOX
The 2025 season was "Big Noon Kickoff's" most-watched season in history.

[12/04/25 - 02:41 PM]
18.4M Viewers Tuned in for Ohio State-Michigan on FOX
Ohio State's win over Michigan scored 18,424,000 viewers on FOX.