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[12/16/20 - 08:30 AM]
Tuesday's Broadcast Ratings: ABC Tops Demos; NBC Leads Total Viewers
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 11 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (12/15/20):

ABC (4.129 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.9, #1) was back on top in demos thanks to a new "The Bachelorette" (4.261 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #1) and the fall finale of "Big Sky" (3.865 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4).

NBC (6.629 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #2) was a close second with "The Voice: Cutdown of Live Performances" (5.687 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) followed by the two-hour "The Voice" (7.100 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) finale.

Next up was CBS (2.791 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.3, #3) and its special "Play On: Celebrating the Power of Music to Make Change" (2.175 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6) alongside repeats of "NCIS" (3.000 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T6) and "FBI" (3.198 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.024 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.2, #4) offered up "Cosmos: Possible Worlds" (1.185 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.2, #8) and "Next" (0.862 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9).

And finally, rounding out the night were "Swamp Thing" (0.704 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9) and "Tell Me a Story" (0.372 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T9) on The CW (0.538 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+28.57% - The Voice
+20.00% - Big Sky
0.00% - Cosmos: Possible Worlds (vs. 12/1/20)
0.00% - Swamp Thing
0.00% - Tell Me a Story
-9.09% - The Bachelorette
-50.00% - Next (vs. 12/1/20)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+71.43% - Big Sky (vs. The Conners/Bless This Mess (Repeats))
+7.53% - The Bachelorette (vs. Various (Repeats))
0.00% - Tell Me a Story (vs. Arrow (Repeat))
-30.77% - The Voice
-50.00% - Swamp Thing (vs. Dogs of the Year)
-70.00% - Play On: Celebrating the Power of Music to Make Change (vs. NCIS)
-71.43% - Cosmos: Possible Worlds (vs. The Resident)
-85.71% - Next (vs. Empire)


Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/17/19):

NBC (7.989 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #1) was the demo victor on Tuesday with its "The Voice Recap" (6.684 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T3) followed by the season finale of "The Voice" (8.641 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #1).

CBS (8.832 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) then was the silver draw with its 2019 finales of "NCIS" (11.038 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T3), "FBI" (8.413 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) and "NCIS: New Orleans" (7.046 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5).

Next up was ABC (3.088 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) and its repeat lineup of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (4.618 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #2), "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" (3.235 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "Shrek The Halls" (2.640 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T8), "The Conners" (1.880 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11) and "Bless This Mess" (1.535 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #12).

Meanwhile, FOX (3.191 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4) offered up the fall finales of "The Resident" (3.815 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T8) and "Empire" (2.566 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T8).

And finally, the special "Dogs of the Year" (0.951 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #13) and a repeat of "Arrow" (0.388 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #14) on The CW (0.669 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) closed out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+12.50% - NCIS: New Orleans (vs. 11/26/19)
+8.33% - The Voice
0.00% - Empire (vs. 12/3/19)
-9.09% - NCIS (vs. 11/26/19)
-11.11% - FBI (vs. 11/26/19)
-12.50% - The Resident (vs. 12/3/19)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+133.33% - Empire (vs. The Gifted (Repeat))
+80.00% - NCIS: New Orleans (vs. NCIS: New Orleans (Repeat))
+75.00% - The Resident (vs. Lethal Weapon (Repeat))
+66.67% - NCIS (vs. NCIS (Repeat))
+33.33% - FBI (vs. FBI (Repeat))
-23.53% - The Voice
-33.33% - Dogs of the Year (vs. Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown 2018)

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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