Sunday Overnights: Modest Start for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Juniors on ABC

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 9.4/16, CBS and Fox: 5.5/ 9 each, ABC: 3.0/ 5, CW: 0.6/ 1

-Percent Change vs. the Year-Ago Week:
ABC: +43, NBC: +16, CBS: – 7, Fox: -11

Ratings Breakdown:
The 19 to 16 victory for the Houston Texans over the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football” scored an estimated 12.2 rating/21 share in the household overnights, which was more than enough for NBC to continue its ongoing fourth quarter dominance. Results for any live sporting event are always estimated in the overnights, of course.

In series premiere news, two hours of “Dancing With the Stars Juniors” on ABC was off to a modest start, with a 3.5/ 6 in the household overnights from 8-10 p.m. The inherent problem with this version of “Dancing With the Stars,” like “American Idol” before it when it attempted a non-adult competition, was the inability for the judges to really critique these performers.

“Dancing With the Stars Juniors” led into a mere 2.4/ 4 in households (#3) for a Sunday 10 p.m. edition of the 10th season premiere of “Shark Tank.” Given ABC’s lackluster performance this past Friday, my recommendation is to move “Shark Tank” back to where it belongs: Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Earlier in the evening on ABC was veteran “America’s Funniest Home Videos” at a third-place 2.9/ 5 in the 7 p.m. hour. At this point, “AHV” will never end!

In week two news, older-skewing CBS family drama “God Friended Me” scored a second-place 5.6/ 9 in the Sunday 8 p.m. hour, which was a minor improvement over the 5.3/ 9 in the household overnights for failed “Wisdom of the Crowd” on the year-ago evening. Comparably, “God Friended Me” dropped by 24 percent from the estimated 7.6/12 for its week-ago series-opener (which was boosted by the network’s primetime football overrun). And the retention out of the 7:30 p.m. portion of lead-in “60 Minutes” (7.0/12) was 20 percent.

Overall, granddaddy “60 Minutes,” now in season 51, scored a 6.7/12 in the 7 p.m. hour.

Also opening the season was CBS political drama “Madam Secretary,” which at a 4.5/ 8 in households (#2) in the 10 p.m. hour held 87 percent of lead-in “NCIS: Los Angeles” (#2: 5.3/ 8 from 9-10 p.m.).

In week three news was Fox sitcom “Rel,” which was consistent at a modest 1.4/ 2 at 9:30 p.m. Comparably, this was 12 percent below year-ago time period occupant “Last Man on Earth” and it dipped from lead-in “Family Guy” (#4: 2.0/ 3 at 9 p.m.) by 30 percent.

Airing out of post-football game “The OT” on Fox (#1: 9.5/17 at 7:30 p.m.) was the perennial 8-9 p.m. combination of “The Simpsons” (#4: 3.3/ 6) and “Bob’s Burgers” (#4: 2.1/ 3).

Over at The CW, part one of special ‘The iHeart Music Radio Festival” scored a 0.6/ 1 in the household overnights from 8-10 p.m. Next Sunday on The CW will feature the season premiere of relocated “Supergirl” into the series premiere of the reboot of “Charmed.”

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Sunday, Oct 7, 2018 broken out by half-hour:

7:00 p.m.
ABC – “America’s Funniest Home Videos”: 2.7/ 5 (#2)
CBS – “60 Minutes”: 6.3/11 (#1)
NBC – “Football Night in America,” part one: 1.4/ 3 (#4)
Fox – Football overrun: 14.8/27 (#1)

7:30 p.m.
ABC – “America’s Funniest Home Videos”: 3.1/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “60 Minutes”: 7.0/12 (#2)
NBC – “Football Night in America,” part two: 3.6/ 6 (#2)
Fox – “The OT”: 9.5/17 (#1)

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars Juniors” (series premiere): 3.5/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “God Friended Me”: 5.6/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “Football Night in America,” part three: 7.0/12 (#1)
Fox – “The Simpsons”: 3.3/ 9 (#4)
CW: “iHeart Music Radio Festival,” night 1: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars Juniors” (series premiere): 3.4/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “God Friended Me”: 5.6/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “Sunday Night Football” (Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans): 11.4/19 (#1)
Fox – “Bob’s Burgers”: 2.1/ 3 (#4)
CW: “iHeart Music Radio Festival,” night 1: 0.5/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars Juniors” (series premiere): 3.5/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: Los Angeles”: 5.3/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Sunday Night Football” (Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans): 12.8/21 (#1)
Fox – “Family Guy”: 2.0/ 3 (#4)
CW: “iHeart Music Radio Festival,” night 1: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars Juniors” (series premiere): 3.5/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: Los Angeles”: 5.2/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Sunday Night Football” (Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans): 12.5/20 (#1)
Fox – “Rel”: 1.4/ 2 (#4)
CW: “iHeart Music Radio Festival,” night 1: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Shark Tank” (season premiere): 2.5/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Madam Secretary” (season premiere): 4.6/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Sunday Night Football” (Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans): 12.5/21 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Shark Tank” (season premiere): 2.2/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Madam Secretary” (season premiere): 4.4/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Sunday Night Football” (Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans): 12.5/22 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research