Stellar Return for Fox’s ‘Empire’

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 6.1 rating/10 share, CBS: 5.2/ 9, NBC: 4.1/ 7, ABC: 3.0/ 5, CW: 1.3/ 2

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
CBS: +18, Fox: + 2, NBC: – 9, CW: -19, ABC: -35

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Ratings Breakdown:
Absence did not have a negative impact on Fox’s “Empire,” which returned from its three-month hiatus with a stellar 8.3 rating/13 share in the household overnights from 9-10 p.m. Comparably, that was five percent above the 7.9/12 for its winter season finale (on Dec. 2, 2015), and that translated into 11.81 million viewers and a 4.5 rating in adults 18-49, based on the Live + Same Day data.

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“Empire” lead-in “Rosewood” benefited by the pre tune-in factor, with a second-place 4.1/ 7 from 8-9 p.m. Comparably, that was 52 percent above the 2.7/ 5 one week earlier, and overnight growth in the second half-hour was eight percent (3.9/ 6 to 4.2/ 7).

In the recently introduced series department, NBC medical drama “Heartbeat” slipped by just one-tenth of a rating point from its time period premiere last week at a 3.3/ 5 in the household overnights from 8-9 p.m. But a 3.4 in the overnights last week translated into only 5.16 million viewers and a 0.9 rating/3 share in adults 18-49, based on the Live + Same Day data. Former time period occupant “The Mysteries of Laura” is a stronger option.

“Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” on CBS, meanwhile, dropped to a 4.5/ 8 at 10 p.m., which was a 12 percent decrease from the 5.1/ 9 last week. And that 5.1 overnight household rating translated into 7.75 million viewers and a 1.5/ 5 in adults 18-49, based on the Live + Same Day data.

Comparably, retention for “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” out of parent “Criminal Minds” (#2: 5.6/ 9 from 9-10 p.m.) was respectable at 80 percent and it trailed competing “Chicago PD” on NBC (#1: 4.7/ 8) by only four percent. ABC’s “Nashville” finished a distant third at 10 p.m. with a 2.8/ 5.

Earlier in the evening on CBS was the always reliable “Survivor” at a dominant 5.7/ 9 from 8-9 p.m., which was equal to one week earlier. And veteran “Law & Order: SVU” on NBC scored a 4.3/ 7 at 9 p.m., which built from aforementioned lead-in “Heartbeat” by 30 percent.

Elsewhere, ABC aired repeats of sitcoms “The Middle” (#3: 3.7/ 6), “The Goldbergs” (#4: 3.1/ 5), “Modern Family” (#4: 3.3/ 5) and “black-ish” (#4: 2.5/ 4) from 8-10 p.m. And The CW featured a typical 1.6/ 3 from “Arrow” at 8 p.m. (#5) into a 1.0/2 for “Supernautral” (#5) at 9 p.m., which will be heading into season 12 in 2016-17.

Source: Nielsen Media Research