or


[01/18/21 - 08:01 AM]
Sunday's Broadcast Ratings: NFL Playoffs Deliver Victory for FOX
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 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (1/17/21):

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

FOX (23.075 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.4, #1) surged to the top spot on Sunday thanks to its presentation of the "NFL Divisional Playoff: Tampa Bay at New Orleans" (28.806 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.0, #1) followed by special installments of "The Great North" (8.416 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) and "Family Guy" (3.342 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3).

CBS (6.000 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) was the silver draw with its mix of "60 Minutes" (10.235 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (5.383 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5), "NCIS: New Orleans" (4.937 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T6) and a repeat "NCIS" (3.446 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8).

Next up was ABC (3.049 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.4, #3) with its new lineup of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (4.023 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T6), "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (2.685 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8), "Card Sharks" (1.878 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T11) and "The Rookie" (3.609 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8).

Meanwhile, NBC (1.351 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) opted for repeats of "Weakest Link" (1.427 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T11), "The Wall" (1.455 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T11) and "American Ninja Warrior: All Star Skills Special" (1.262 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T11).

And finally, the return of "Batwoman" (0.663 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.1, #15) and a rebroadcast of "All American Stories" (0.177 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.0, #16) rounded out the night on The CW (0.420 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+333.33% - The Great North (vs. 1/3/21)
+57.14% - Family Guy (vs. 12/13/20)
+50.00% - Card Sharks (vs. 12/13/20)
0.00% - NCIS: New Orleans
0.00% - The Rookie
-14.29% - NCIS: Los Angeles
-28.57% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-33.33% - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
-42.11% - 60 Minutes

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - NCIS: New Orleans (vs. FBI (Repeat))
+20.00% - NCIS: Los Angeles (vs. NCIS (Repeat))
+10.00% - 60 Minutes
0.00% - The Rookie (vs. Shark Tank (Repeat))
0.00% - America's Funniest Home Videos
0.00% - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (vs. Kids Say the Darndest Things)
-3.70% - The Great North (vs. 9-1-1: Lone Star)
-40.00% - Card Sharks (vs. Shark Tank)
-50.00% - Batwoman
-59.26% - Family Guy (vs. 9-1-1: Lone Star)


Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/19/20):

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

FOX (28.063 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.2, #1) overshadowed the competition on Sunday thanks to its coverage of the "NFC Championship" (34.133 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 10.0, #1) and the launch of "9-1-1: Lone Star" (9.852 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2).

CBS (4.971 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.6, #2) was a distant second with its mix of "60 Minutes" (8.142 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3), "NCIS" (4.342 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4), "FBI" (3.709 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8) and "NCIS: New Orleans" (3.692 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8).

Next up was ABC (2.927 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #3) with a new "America's Funniest Home Videos" (3.886 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4), the season finale of "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (2.790 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8), the Friday-bound "Shark Tank" (2.717 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) and a repeat "Shark Tank" (2.316 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8).

Meanwhile, NBC (1.903 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) opted for encores of "America's Got Talent: The Champions" (1.879 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12), "Ellen's Game of Games" (1.723 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12) and another "Ellen's Game of Games" (2.130 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4).

And finally, the return of "Batwoman" (0.777 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T14) and "Supergirl" (0.830 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #T14) on The CW (0.803 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Shark Tank
-20.00% - Kids Say the Darndest Things
-28.57% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-33.33% - 60 Minutes
-66.67% - Supergirl (vs. 12/8/19)
-66.67% - Batwoman (vs. 12/9/19)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
-16.67% - America's Funniest Home Videos (vs. America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat))
-28.57% - Shark Tank
-33.33% - Kids Say the Darndest Things (vs. America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat))
-33.33% - Supergirl (vs. Charmed)
-33.33% - Batwoman (vs. Supergirl)
-93.10% - 60 Minutes (vs. AFC Championship)

Source: Nielsen Media Research





  [january 2021]  
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
[05/21/26 - 02:32 PM]
ESPN Delivered Most-Watched NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 Since 2018
The New York Knicks overtime victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19 generated an average audience of 7.1 million viewers and peaked with 8.87 million viewers at 10:45 p.m. ET.

[05/21/26 - 02:00 PM]
"Survivor" Historic 50th Season Concludes with Most-Watched Finale Since 2020
The season finale drew an average of 5.78 million viewers, based on Nielsen Preliminary panel only data.

[05/21/26 - 07:01 AM]
NBC Sports' 2026 SuperMotocross Coverage Delivers Viewership Gains and Milestones
The seven races featured on NBC and Peacock averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 468,000 viewers on NBC and Peacock, up 8% vs. 2025.

[05/20/26 - 03:05 PM]
NBC and Peacock Deliver the Most-Watched Western Conference Finals Game 1 Ever for Monday's Spurs-Thunder Double Overtime Thriller
Coverage peaked with 12.0 million viewers from 11:30-11:43 p.m. ET for the second overtime and game's conclusion.

[05/20/26 - 03:04 PM]
ESPN Aired Its Most Viewed 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round of the Current Rights Deal
Collectively all 11 Second Round games, with nine airing on ESPN and two on ABC, delivered 2.2 million viewers, up 76% year-over-year.

[05/20/26 - 07:36 AM]
After Record-Setting 2025 Season, "Sunday Night Football" Finishes Fall-Spring TV Season as Primetime's No. 1 Show for Unprecedented 15th Consecutive Year
The series averaged 23.5 million viewers in 2025, marking the show's best-ever viewership - up nearly 1 million viewers from the prior record for the series set a decade ago (22.6 million in 2015 season) and an increase of 9% over the '24 season (21.6 million).

[05/19/26 - 02:52 PM]
Subway Series Delivers Second Most-Watched FOX Saturday Baseball Telecast of the Season
2,500,000 viewers tuned-in to the two-game slate highlighted by the Mets' 6-3 victory over the Yankees in most of the country.

[05/19/26 - 02:01 PM]
Netflix Viewership Peaks with Nearly 17 Million Global Viewers for MVP MMA's Rousey vs. Carano, Averaging 12.4 Million Viewers Across the Triple Main Event
In the US, the triple-main card averaged 9.3 million viewers, peaking at 11.6 million viewers during Rousey vs. Carano.

[05/19/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of May 11 - "The Roast of Kevin Hart" Heats Up to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
True crime audiences also streamed the second season of "Worst Ex Ever," which rose to the No. 2 spot on the English TV list with 8.1 million views.

[05/19/26 - 07:07 AM]
TNT Sports Posts Its Most-Watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Ever
Thursday's Game 5 of the Montreal/Buffalo series averaged 1.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched, Second Round, Game 5 on cable ever featuring a Canadian team.

[05/18/26 - 04:03 PM]
"The Rookie" Season 8 Finale Surges to Over 9 Million Total Viewers
Setting new records with its exceptional momentum this season, "The Rookie" finale earned an all-time streaming high for the series based on views over seven days on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

[05/15/26 - 02:03 PM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers on Sunday Morning, in Late-Night and on Friday Night
"20/20" saw week-to-week increases in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, hitting 4-week highs in both measures.

[05/14/26 - 10:07 AM]
"Rooster" Capped Off a Standout First Season, Becoming HBO's Most-Watched Comedy Debut in Over 15 Years
The series is averaging 6.5 million U.S. viewers per episode, with the finale reaching 2.2 million viewers in its first three days.

[05/14/26 - 10:01 AM]
Home Run! ESPN Scores Most-Consumed College Softball Regular Season on Record
The 2026 campaign featured four of ESPN's eight most-watched regular season games of all-time and delivered a record-high 10 games with more than 500,000 viewers.

[05/13/26 - 10:30 AM]
Viewership for 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Presentation on ABC Up 23 Percent Year Over Year
ESPN's presentation of the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, May 10, on ABC averaged 2.3 million viewers.