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NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” made TV history once again, topping prime time television in all key metrics for an unprecedented eighth consecutive year, based on live plus same day data provided by Nielsen. “SNF” also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the ninth consecutive TV season. When including digital data from Adobe Analytics for NBC’s streaming platform, “SNF” posted a Total Audience Delivery average of 19.6 million viewers in 2018 – up 7 percent from the 2017 season (18.4 million). As a result, it’s one of the primary reasons NBC was the top-ranked network among adults 18-49 for 2018-19 with a 1.6 live plus same day rating within the demo, beating CBS and Fox (1.5 each), as well as ABC (1.2). Netlet CW posted a 0.4 rating.
The NFL also benefited Fox (and its simulcast partner NFL Network) by having the second-best rated prime time option of the season on broadcast TV, “Thursday Night Football” gaining more than 3 percent from its fall 2017 airings on CBS and NBC and propelling the Fox network to tie CBS for season runner-up in the adults 18-49 demographic.
Even ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” — which experienced 8 percent growth in viewership — ranked in the top ten of TV overall this season in each viewers and demos.
As noted back on May 17, CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” became the first series since “Seinfeld” in 1998 to rank as the No. 1 entertainment series in total viewers in its final season; the comedy had just completed its 12-year run.
With “The Big Bang Theory”, “NCIS”, “Young Sheldon”, “Mom”, “Blue Bloods”, “Survivor” and the season’s most-watched freshman scripted series “FBI“, CBS remained as TV’s most-watched network in prime time for the eleventh consecutive year and the 16th year out of the past 17 years. CBS averaged 8.9 million viewers (thru May 22, 2019), followed by NBC (7.2 million), ABC (5.6 million), Fox (5.3 million) and CW (1.3 million).
Two new unscripted series delivered solid ratings in midseason — Fox’s “The Masked Singer” which placed in the top ten in all key adult demos, and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” which ranked in the broadcast network top ten in total viewers.
How big was HBO’s “Game of Thrones” as it bid adieu? Initial Sunday telecasts of the drama for its final season were, by far, the top-performing scripted series in all of television among all key adult demographics (including a 5.2 rating among adults 18-49), more than doubling the adults 18-49 audience of what the best broadcast networks had to offer in scripted, the aforementioned “The Big Bang Theory” (2.3 rating).
Although it has experienced a precipitous drop from recent seasons, initial telecasts of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” averaged a 1.9 adults 18-49 rating — fourth-best for a scripted series on TV overall.
The most successful scheduling move of the season was by NBC airing all three of its “Chicago” dramas on Wednesday night: “Chicago Med“, “Chicago Fire“, and “Chicago PD“. Each show had increased from last season by a double-digit percentage in total viewers.
What follows are the average Live + Same Day rating results for the broadcast network programs for the 2018-19 traditional television season from Monday, September 24, 2018 thru Wednesday, May 22, 2019 [season ranking in respective data category noted in brackets] (percentage changes from the 2017-18 season in parentheses, where available):
| PROGRAM |
NET |
Viewers |
| Sunday Night Football |
NBC |
5.8/23 [#1]
(0.0%) |
18.797m [#1]
(+6.9%) |
| Game of Thrones |
HBO |
5.2
(+8.5%) |
11.992m
(+16.9%) |
| Fox+NFLN Thursday Night Football |
FOX |
4.4/19 [#2]
(+3.5%) |
14.304m [#2]
(+3.6%) |
| Fox NFL Sunday-Post Gun-National |
FOX |
4.1/19 [#3]
(-10.9%) |
13.626m [#3]
(-9.0%) |
| Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick |
NBC |
3.8/15 [#4]
(-7.3%) |
12.791m [#5]
(-1.2%) |
| Monday Night Football |
ESPN |
3.8 |
11.65m
(+8%) |
| The OT |
FOX |
3.3/14 [#5]
(-10.8%) |
10.600m [#8]
(-8.8%) |
| Football Night in America Part 3 |
NBC |
2.7/11 [#6]
(-12.9%) |
9.149m [#11]
(-4.4%) |
| The Masked Singer |
FOX |
2.6/11 [#7] |
8.136m [#20] |
| Fox+NFLN Thursday Night Pre-Kick |
FOX |
2.4/12 [#8]
(+4.3%) |
8.445m [#15]
(-2.4%) |
| The Big Bang Theory |
CBS |
2.3/11 [#9]
(-14.8%) |
13.281m [#4]
(-5.1%) |
| This Is Us |
NBC |
2.0/8 [#10]
(-35.5%) |
8.337m [#17]
(-25.5%) |
| The Walking Dead |
AMC |
1.9
(-44.5%) |
4.950m
(-36.7%) |
| The Bachelor |
ABC |
1.8/7 [#11]
(0.0%) |
6.382m [#37]
(-1.7%) |
| America’s Got Talent: The Champions |
NBC |
1.7/7 [#12] |
10.123m [#10] |
| Young Sheldon |
CBS |
1.7/8 [#12]
(-22.7%) |
11.194m [#7]
(-11.0%) |
| The Conners* |
ABC |
1.6/7 [#14]
(-54.3%) |
7.463m [#26]
(-44.7%) |
| Grey’s Anatomy |
ABC |
1.6/7 [#14]
(-15.8%) |
6.781m [#32]
(-10.4%) |
| The Voice (Mon.) |
NBC |
1.6/7 [#14]
(-20.0%) |
8.965m [#13]
(-10.7%) |
| Survivor |
CBS |
1.5/7 [#17]
(-11.8%) |
7.466m [#25]
(-8.3%) |
| The Voice (Tue.) |
NBC |
1.5/7 [#17]
(-21.1%) |
8.468m [#14]
(-12.9%) |
| Ellen’s Game of Games |
NBC |
1.4/6 [#19]
(-26.3%) |
6.130m [#40]
(-22.9%) |
| Saturday Night Football |
ABC |
1.4/7 [#19]
(0.0%) |
5.175m [#56]
(+5.2%) |
| 60 Minutes |
CBS |
1.3/5 [#21]
(-7.1%) |
10.244m [#9]
(-6.0%) |
| 9-1-1 |
FOX |
1.3/5 [#21]
(-18.8%) |
5.876m [#44]
(-6.8%) |
| American Idol (Sun.) |
ABC |
1.3/6 [#21]
(-23.5%) |
7.597m [#24]
(-5.4%) |
| The Bachelorette |
ABC |
1.3/6 [#21]
(-13.3%) |
4.642m [#63]
(-18.2%) |
| Empire |
FOX |
1.3/6 [#21]
(-27.8%) |
4.522m [#68]
(-20.1%) |
| Football Night in America Part 2 |
NBC |
1.3/5 [#21]
(-23.5%) |
4.581m [#67]
(-16.8%) |
| Manifest |
NBC |
1.3/5 [#21] |
6.488m [#35] |
| Modern Family |
ABC |
1.3/5 [#21]
(-18.8%) |
4.834m [#62]
(-15.1%) |
| The Titan Games |
NBC |
1.3/6 [#21] |
5.023m [#59] |
| America’s Funniest Home Videos (8 p.m.) |
ABC |
1.2/4 [#30]
(+20.0%) |
5.890m [#43]
(+19.4%) |
| Chicago Fire |
NBC |
1.2/5 [#30]
(+9.1%) |
8.100m [#21]
(+35.4%) |
| Chicago Med |
NBC |
1.2/5 [#30]
(0.0%) |
8.237m [#19]
(+24.6%) |
| The Goldbergs |
ABC |
1.2/6 [#30]
(-20.0%) |
4.910m [#61]
(-12.1%) |
| Mom |
CBS |
1.2/5 [#30]
(-20.0%) |
7.992m [#22]
(-9.7%) |
| NCIS |
CBS |
1.2/6 [#30]
(-14.3%) |
12.099m [#6]
(-7.2%) |
| The Simpsons |
FOX |
1.2/5 [#30]
(-20.0%) |
3.115m [#101]
(-11.5%) |
| The World’s Best |
CBS |
1.2/5 [#30] |
5.478m [#48] |
| Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell & Back |
FOX |
1.1/5 [#38] |
3.567m [#88] |
| American Idol (Mon.) |
ABC |
1.1/5 [#38]
(-31.3%) |
6.298m [#38]
(-18.8%) |
| Chicago PD |
NBC |
1.1/5 [#38]
(-8.3%) |
7.048m [#31]
(+10.3%) |
| The Good Doctor |
ABC |
1.1/5 [#38]
(-38.9%) |
6.682m [#34]
(-31.7%) |
| Last Man Standing** |
FOX |
1.1/6 [#38]
(0.0%) |
5.718m [#46]
(-10.8%) |
| NBA Saturday Primetime |
ABC |
1.1/5 [#38]
(0.0%) |
3.415m [#92]
(+0.8%) |
| The Neighborhood |
CBS |
1.1/5 [#38] |
6.482m [#36] |
| New Amsterdam |
NBC |
1.1/5 [#38] |
5.919m [#42] |
| Star |
FOX |
1.1/5 [#38]
(-15.4%) |
3.541m [#89]
(-14.0%) |
| Bob’s Burgers |
FOX |
1.0/4 [#47]
(0.0%) |
2.451m [#117]
(+11.2%) |
| Family Guy |
FOX |
1.0/4 [#47]
(-9.1%) |
2.406m [#118]
(-4.6%) |
| FBI |
CBS |
1.0/4 [#47] |
9.083m [#12] |
| Schooled |
ABC |
1.0/4 [#47] |
3.938m [#78] |
| Station 19 |
ABC |
1.0/4 [#47]
(-9.1%) |
5.281m [#55]
(+0.2%) |
| American Horror Story |
FX |
1.0
(-12.8%) |
2.033m
(-8.5%) |
| The Amazing Race |
CBS |
0.9/4 [#52]
(-18.2%) |
4.608m [#66]
(-17.8%) |
| America’s Funniest Home Videos (7 p.m.) |
ABC |
0.9/4 [#52]
(-10.0%) |
5.396m [#52]
(-0.7%) |
| American Housewife |
ABC |
0.9/4 [#52]
(-25.0%) |
4.124m [#75]
(-9.0%) |
| Dancing with the Stars |
ABC |
0.9/4 [#52]
(-35.7%) |
7.298m [#29]
(-22.7%) |
| Fam |
CBS |
0.9/4 [#52] |
5.500m [#47] |
| God Friended Me |
CBS |
0.9/3 [#52] |
7.784m [#23] |
| Man with a Plan |
CBS |
0.9/4 [#52]
(-10.0%) |
5.335m [#53]
(-7.6%) |
| A Million Little Things |
ABC |
0.9/4 [#52] |
4.263m [#71] |
| NCIS: Los Angeles (9 p.m.) |
CBS |
0.9/3 [#52]
(0.0%) |
7.443m [#27]
(-6.3%) |
| The Passage |
FOX |
0.9/4 [#52] |
3.804m [#83] |
| The Resident |
FOX |
0.9/4 [#52]
(-10.0%) |
5.028m [#58]
(+10.9%) |
| black-ish |
ABC |
0.8/3 [#63]
(-33.3%) |
3.286m [#95]
(-24.2%) |
| Blue Bloods |
CBS |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-11.1%) |
8.435m [#16]
(-7.1%) |
| The Cool Kids |
FOX |
0.8/4 [#63] |
4.228m [#71] |
| Criminal Minds |
CBS |
0.8/3 [#63]
(-20.0%) |
4.616m [#64]
(-19.0%) |
| The Good Place |
NBC |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-27.3%) |
2.749m [#111]
(-24.1%) |
| Great Christmas Light Fight |
ABC |
0.8/3 [#63] |
4.124m [#74] |
| Happy Together |
CBS |
0.8/3 [#63] |
4.625m [#63] |
| Hawaii Five-0 |
CBS |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-20.0%) |
7.314m [#27]
(-12.1%) |
| Hell’s Kitchen |
FOX |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-11.1%) |
2.748m [#112]
(-12.3%) |
| The Kids Are Alright |
ABC |
0.8/4 [#63] |
3.883m [#79] |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit |
NBC |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-33.3%) |
4.177m [#72]
(-29.7%) |
| Life in Pieces |
CBS |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-27.3%) |
5.461m [#49]
(-16.1%) |
| Magnum P.I. |
CBS |
0.8/3 [#63] |
5.847m [#44] |
| Murphy Brown |
CBS |
0.8/3 [#63] |
6.195m [#38] |
| NCIS: New Orleans |
CBS |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-20.0%) |
7.286m [#29]
(-17.8%) |
| S.W.A.T. |
CBS |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-11.1%) |
5.306m [#53]
(-10.1%) |
| Shark Tank (9 p.m.) |
ABC |
0.8/3 [#63]
(-27.3%) |
3.576m [#86]
(-19.3%) |
| Shark Tank (10:01 p.m.) |
ABC |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-11.1%) |
3.830m [#81]
(+8.0%) |
| Single Parents |
ABC |
0.8/4 [#63] |
3.304m [#94] |
| Saturday Night Football Pre-Game |
ABC |
0.8/4 [#63]
(+14.3%) |
3.388m [#92]
(+6.7%) |
| Superstore |
NBC |
0.8/4 [#63]
(-20.0%) |
3.136m [#99]
(-14.4%) |
| World of Dance |
NBC |
0.8/3 [#63]
(-33.3%) |
3.436m [#90]
(-37.8%) |
| Bless This Mess |
ABC |
0.7/3 [#85] |
3.324m [#93] |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine |
NBC |
0.7/3 [#85]
(0.0%) |
2.284m [#124]
(+29.7%) |
| Bull |
CBS |
0.7/3 [#85]
(-41.7%) |
6.711m [#32]
(-36.8%) |
| Dancing with the Stars: Juniors |
ABC |
0.7/2 [#85]
(0.0%) |
4.391m [#69]
(+6.3%) |
| The Enemy Within |
NBC |
0.7/3 [#85] |
4.396m [#68] |
| How To Get Away With Murder |
ABC |
0.7/3 [#85]
(-22.2%) |
2.846m [#107]
(-23.1%) |
| Lethal Weapon |
FOX |
0.7/3 [#85]
(-30.0%) |
3.061m [#103]
(-25.6%) |
| MacGyver |
CBS |
0.7/4 [#85]
(-12.5%) |
6.108m [#40]
(-11.0%) |
| MasterChef Junior |
FOX |
0.7/4 [#85]
(-12.5%) |
2.772m [#109]
(-15.6%) |
| Notre Dame Football |
NBC |
0.7/4 [#85] |
3.088m [#102] |
| The Orville |
FOX |
0.7/3 [#85]
(-30.0%) |
3.160m [#98]
(-13.1%) |
| Rel |
FOX |
0.7/2 [#85] |
1.723m [#138] |
| The Rookie |
ABC |
0.7/3 [#85] |
4.137m [#73] |
| SEAL Team |
CBS |
0.7/3 [#85]
(-30.0%) |
4.978m [#59]
(-25.6%) |
| Splitting Up Together |
ABC |
0.7/3 [#85]
(-41.7%) |
2.759m [#110]
(-36.1%) |
| The Village |
NBC |
0.7/3 [#85] |
4.100m [#76] |
| Will & Grace |
NBC |
0.7/3 [#85]
(-53.3%) |
3.020m [#105]
(-44.0%) |
| Barry |
HBO |
0.6
(+207.1%) |
1.597m
(+172.1%) |
| 20/20 (Fri.) |
ABC |
0.6/3 [#102]
(0.0%) |
3.804m [#82]
(+29.6%) |
| The Blacklist |
NBC |
0.6/3 [#102]
(-33.3%) |
3.919m [#78]
(-30.6%) |
| The Code |
CBS |
0.6/2 [#102]
(-14.3%) |
5.141m [#56]
(-4.5%) |
| Dateline (Fri.) |
NBC |
0.6/3 [#102]
(-25.0%) |
3.459m [#89]
(-23.9%) |
| Dateline (Sun.) |
NBC |
0.6/2 [#102]
(0.0%) |
3.797m [#84]
(-3.5%) |
| The Flash |
CW |
0.6/3 [#102]
(-25.0%) |
1.699m [#139]
(-23.3%) |
| Fox College Football – Big12 Prime |
FOX |
0.6/3 [#102]
(-14.3%) |
2.363m [#118]
(+1.0%) |
| Fox College Football – Pac12 Prime |
FOX |
0.6/3 [#102]
(+20.0%) |
1.997m [#131]
(+0.9%) |
| Fresh Off The Boat |
ABC |
0.6/3 [#102]
(-40.0%) |
3.029m [#104]
(-20.6%) |
| The Gifted |
FOX |
0.6/2 [#102]
(-40.0%) |
1.928m [#134]
(-42.7%) |
| Good Girls |
NBC |
0.6/3 [#102]
(-40.0%) |
2.328m [#121]
(-47.5%) |
| Gotham |
FOX |
0.6/3 [#102]
(-25.0%) |
2.246m [#126]
(-11.4%) |
| Madam Secretary |
CBS |
0.6/3 [#102]
(0.0%) |
5.444m [#50]
(-12.0%) |
| Million Dollar Mile |
CBS |
0.6/3 [#102] |
2.583m [#113] |
| NCIS: Los Angeles (10 p.m.) |
CBS |
0.6/3 [#102] |
5.470m [#48] |
| 48 Hours |
CBS |
0.5/2 [#117]
(0.0%) |
3.680m [#85]
(-6.3%) |
| A.P. Bio |
NBC |
0.5/2 [#117]
(-28.6%) |
1.959m [#132]
(-26.2%) |
| Blindspot |
NBC |
0.5/2 [#117]
(-16.7%) |
2.828m [#108]
(-13.2%) |
| The Fix |
ABC |
0.5/2 [#117] |
3.091m [#101] |
| For The People |
ABC |
0.5/2 [#117]
(-16.7%) |
2.872m [#106]
(+13.2%) |
| Fox College Saturday-Kick |
FOX |
0.5/3 [#117] |
1.940m [#133] |
| I Feel Bad |
NBC |
0.5/2 [#117] |
2.067m [#129] |
| Match Game |
ABC |
0.5/2 [#117]
(-28.6%) |
2.363m [#118]
(-18.2%) |
| Mental Samurai |
FOX |
0.5/2 [#117] |
1.767m [#136] |
| Speechless |
ABC |
0.5/2 [#117]
(-54.5%) |
2.322m [#123]
(-46.7%) |
| Whiskey Cavalier |
ABC |
0.5/3 [#117] |
3.215m [#97] |
| Dateline Mystery |
NBC |
0.5/2 [#128]
(-6.5%) |
3.217m [#96]
(+7.4%) |
| 1969 |
ABC |
0.4/2 [#129] |
2.326m [#122] |
| Abby’s |
NBC |
0.4/2 [#129] |
1.740m [#137] |
| Child Support |
ABC |
0.4/2 [#129]
(-50.0%) |
2.131m [#127]
(-47.3%) |
| Fox Saturday Baseball |
FOX |
0.4/3 [#129] |
2.360m [#120] |
| Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. |
ABC |
0.4/3 [#129]
(-20.0%) |
2.249m [#125]
(+8.3%) |
| Midnight, Texas |
NBC |
0.4/2 [#129] |
2.130m [#128] |
| NBA Countdown (Sat.) |
ABC |
0.4/2 [#129]
(-20.0%) |
1.877m [#135]
(-2.3%) |
| Paradise Hotel (Thu.) |
FOX |
0.4/2 [#129] |
1.259m [#143] |
| Paradise Hotel (Mon.) |
FOX |
0.4/2 [#129] |
1.191m [#144] |
| Premier Boxing Champions Fight Night |
FOX |
0.4/2 [#129]
(+33.3%) |
1.592m [#140]
(+36.8%) |
| Proven Innocent |
FOX |
0.4/2 [#129] |
2.007m [#130] |
| The Red Line |
CBS |
0.4/1 [#129] |
3.847m [#80] |
| Riverdale |
CW |
0.4/2 [#129]
(-20.0%) |
1.054m [#149]
(-23.1%) |
| Supernatural |
CW |
0.4/2 [#129]
(-33.3%) |
1.433m [#141]
(-15.3%) |
| Dirty John |
Bravo |
0.4 |
1.326m |
| Arrow |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144]
(-25.0%) |
1.092m [#146]
(-10.1%) |
| Black Lightning |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144]
(-50.0%) |
0.963m [#152]
(-44.4%) |
| Charmed |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144]
(-83.3%) |
0.850m [#154]
(-88.2%) |
| D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144]
(-40.0%) |
0.953m [#153]
(-36.7%) |
| The 100 |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144]
(0.0%) |
0.804m [#155]
(-27.6%) |
| Legacies |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144] |
1.003m [#151] |
| Paradise Hotel (Wed.) |
FOX |
0.3/1 [#144] |
1.092m [#146] |
| Penn & Teller: Fool Us |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144]
(-25.0%) |
1.025m [#150]
(-38.8%) |
| Ransom |
CBS |
0.3/1 [#144]
(0.0%) |
2.374m [#117]
(-9.3%) |
| Roswell New Mexico |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144] |
1.064m [#148] |
| Supergirl |
CW |
0.3/1 [#144]
(-40.0%) |
1.162m [#145]
(-37.5%) |
| Alec Baldwin Show |
ABC |
0.2/1 [#155] |
1.359m [#142] |
| All American |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155] |
0.667m [#158] |
| Dynasty |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155]
(0.0%) |
0.557m [#164]
(-19.0%) |
| In The Dark |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155] |
0.649m [#159] |
| iZombie |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155]
(0.0%) |
0.631m [#161]
(-16.5%) |
| Jane the Virgin |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155]
(0.0%) |
0.638m [#160]
(+0.5%) |
| Masters of Illusion |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155] |
0.778m [#156] |
| The Outpost |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155] |
0.594m [#163] |
| Whose Line Is It Anyway? |
CW |
0.2/1 [#155] |
0.728m [#157] |
| Burden of Truth |
CW |
0.1/1 [#164] |
0.624m [#162] |
| Crazy Ex-Girlfriend |
CW |
0.1/1 [#164]
(-50.0%) |
0.405m [#165]
(-35.8%) |
* ‘The Conners’ compared to the Spring 2018 run of ‘Roseanne’
** ‘Last Man Standing’ compared to its 2016-17 season
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
