Sunday Overnights: CBS Tops Night; NBC the Network to Beat in Adults 18-49

SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2018

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 5.4/ 9, NBC: 4.7/ 7, ABC: 3.6/ 6, Fox: 1.1/ 2

Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening
NBC: +52, CBS: +10, Fox: no change, ABC: -23

Ratings Breakdown:
Note: “The Billboard Music Awards” aired live across the country, with some West Coast markets airing an encore presentation. In other words, the results for NBC are estimated.

CBS won this third Sunday in May in the household overnights, but NBC aired the annual “Billboard Music Awards” and is a lock in adults 18-49 (and all the key adult demographics). The “Billboard Music Awards” averaged a 5.3 rating/9 share in households for the primetime portion (from 8-11 p.m. ET), which was right on par with its telecast on ABC on the year-ago evening.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was “Dateline” at a third-place 2.8/ 6 in the 7 p.m. hour.

On CBS, “60 Minutes” topped the night at a 6.1/11 at 7 p.m., which led into a 5.3/ 9 for the two-hour season-finale of “NCIS: Los Angeles” from 8-10 p.m. Also concluding its season on the Eye net was “Madam Secretary” at a 4.4/ 8 (#2) at 10 p.m. Next fall, CBS has scheduled new drama “God Friended” in the Sunday 8 p.m. hour.

Elsewhere, ABC had nothing unusual to report with its combination of the season-finale of veteran “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (#2: 3.0/ 6 at 7 p.m.), “American Idol” (4.6/ 8 from 8-10 p.m.) and canceled freshman drama “Deception” (#3: 2.0/ 3). “American Idol” concludes for the evening this season. Coming up this fall on ABC on Sunday is a night of all non-scription programming: “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “Shark Tank” and two newbies from 9-11 p.m.: “Dancing With the Stars Juniors” and “The Alec Baldwin Show.”

On Fox, the Sunday sitcom line-up was at typical overnight levels as follows:

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Sunday, May 20 broken out by half-hour:

7:00 p.m.
ABC – “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (season finale): 2.8/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “60 Minutes”: 5.9/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Dateline”: 2.9/ 6 (#2)
Fox – “Bob’s Burgers” (R): 0.7/ 1 (#4)

7:30 p.m.
ABC – “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (season finale): 3.2/ 6 (#2)
CBS – “60 Minutes”: 6.9/13 (#1)
NBC – “Dateline”: 2.8/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Bob’s Burgers”: 1.1/ 2 (#4)

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 4.6/ 8 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (season finale): 5.2/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Billboard Music Awards”: 4.9/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “The Simpsons” (season finale): 1.4/ 2 (#4)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 4.6/ 8 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (season finale): 5.2/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Billboard Music Awards”: 5.0/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (final episode on Fox): 1.1/ 2 (#4)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 4.6/ 8 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: New Orleans” (season finale): 5.4/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Billboard Music Awards”: 5.3/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “Family Guy” (season finale): 1.2/ 2 (#4)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 4.6/ 8 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: New Orleans” (season finale): 5.6/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Billboard Music Awards”: 5.4/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “Bob’s Burgers” (season finale): 1.1/ 2 (#4)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Deception”: 2.2/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Madam Secretary” (season finale): 4.5/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Billboard Music Awards”: 6.0/10 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Deception”: 1.8/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “Madam Secretary” (season finale): 4.3/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Billboard Music Awards”: 5.5/10 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research