‘SEAL Team’ Launch Leads CBS to Opening Wednesday Overnight Victory

What follows are the metered market (overnight) results in households by network and by half-hour for Wednesday, September 27, 2017:

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 5.2/ 9, Fox: 4.8/ 8, NBC: 4.0/ 7, ABC: 3.9/ 7, CW: 0.5/ 1

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Opening Wednesday (9/21/16):
CBS: + 8, NBC: -13, Fox: -23, ABC: -33, CW: -44

-Ratings Breakdown:
The launch of CBS military drama “SEAL Team” topped this first Wednesday of the 2017-18 TV season, leading the Eye net to overnight household victory. But the home of “Empire,” Fox, is the network to beat in adults 18-49 (and all the key young adult demographics).

“SEAL Team” opened with a 6.2 rating/10 share in the household overnights from 9-10 p.m., building from the season premiere of “Survivor” (edition #35: #2: 5.1/ 8 at 8 p.m.) by an impressive 22 percent. Comparably, “SEAL Team” outdelivered the 19th season premiere of NBC’s competing “Law & Order: SVU” (#4: 3.8/ 6) by 63 percent, and this is a notable improvement over year-ago time period occupant “Criminal Minds.” Consider this a stellar beginning for “SEAL Team.” Still solid “Survivor,” meanwhile, was 11 percent below the 5.7/ 9 year-ago opener.

“Criminal Minds,” meanwhile, opened its new season, now at 10 p.m. ET, with a dominant 4.5/ 8. Comparably, that bested the season premiere episodes of competing “Chicago PD” on NBC (#2: 4.0/ 7) and “Designated Survivor” on ABC (#3: 3.8/ 7) by 12 percent and 18 percent, respectively. “Designated Survivor” of note, and this is not positive, was 47 percent below the 7.2/12 for its year-ago launch (on 9/21/16).

Earlier in the evening on NBC was the season premiere of relocated “The Blacklist” at a third-place 4.3/ 7, which was equal to opening overnight levels for former time period occupant “Blindspot.”

On Fox, relocated “Empire” topped the 8 p.m. hour with a 5.5/ 9 in the household overnights, which was 24 percent below the 7.2/11 opener in the Wednesday 9 p.m. hour last season. But this will certainly dominate the 8 p.m. hour in all key demos, and it gave a boost to the second season premiere of compatible “Star,” which scored a third-place 4.1/ 9 at 9 p.m.

In the ABC sitcom department, erosion was the noticeable observation in the 8 to 10 p.m. block care of season premiere episodes of “The Goldbergs” (#4: 4.0/ 7), “Speechless” (#4: 3.2/ 5), “Modern Family” (#2: 4.8/ 8) and relocated “American Housewife” (#4: 3.6/ 6). Comparably, “American Housewife” slipped by 20 percent from the 4.5/ 7 for season-opening levels for year-ago time period occupant “black-ish” (4.5/ 7 on 9/21/16).

The CW ducked the competition with encore telecasts of “The Flash” (#5: 0.6/ 1) and “Supernatural” (#5: 0.5/ 1).

What follows are the household overnight results for Wednesday, September 27 by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs” (season premiere): 4.0/ 7 (#4)
CBS – “Survivor” (season premiere): 5.2/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “The Blacklist” (season premiere): 4.4/ 7 (#3)
Fox – “Empire” (season premiere): 5.4/ 9 (#1)
CW – “Arrow” (R): 0.6/ 1 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Speechless” (season premiere): 3.2/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Survivor” (season premiere): 5.0/ 8)
NBC – “The Blacklist” (season premiere): 4.2/ 7 (#3)
Fox – “Empire” (season premiere): 5.6/ 9 (#1)
CW – “Arrow” (R): 0.6/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family” (season premiere): 4.8/ 8 (#2)
CBS – “SEAL Team” (series premiere): 6.2/10 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (season premiere): 3.8/ 6 (#4)
Fox – “Star” (season premiere): 4.2/ 7 (#3)
CW – “Supernatural” (R): 0.4/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Housewife” (season premiere): 3.6/ 6 (#4)
CBS – “SEAL Team” (series premiere): 6./10 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (season premiere): 3.8/ 6 (#3)
Fox – “Star” (season premiere): 3.9/ 6 (#2)
CW – “Supernatural” (R): 0.5/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor” (season premiere): 4.0/ 7 (#2t)
CBS – “Criminal Minds” (season premiere): 4.6/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago PD” (season premiere): 4.0/ 7 (#2t)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor” (season premiere): 3.6/ 7 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds” (season premiere): 4.4/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago PD” (season premiere): 4.0/ 7 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research