Sunday Ratings: ‘American Idol’ Season-Ender Leads ABC to Modest Victory

Sunday, May 22, 2022

Total Viewers:
ABC: 4.59 million, CBS: 2.39, NBC: 1.27, CW: 605,000, Fox: 260,000

Adults 18-49:
ABC: 1.4 rating/13 share, CBS and NBC: 0.2/ 2 each, Fox and CW: 0.1/ 1 each

In season finale news, a three hour edition of “American Idol” on ABC averaged 5.60 million viewers and a 0.7 rating/5 share in adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m., which topped the daypart in both categories. That led out of veteran “America’s Home Videos,” also a season-ender, at 4.88 million viewers (#2) and a 0.5/ 4 (#2) in the Sunday 7 p.m. ET hour.

In other season finale results were CBS crime solvers “NCIS: Los Angeles” (Viewers: #2, 3.97 million; A18-49: #3, 0.3/ 2 at 9 p.m.) and “S.W.A.T.” (Viewers: #2, 3.95 million; A18-49: #2t, 0.3/ 3 at 10 p.m.). They led out of two episodes of “60 Minutes” (Viewers: #1 for the night: 7.48 million; A18-49: #1 for the night: 0.9/ 9 at 7 p.m.; Viewers: #2, 5.36 million; A18-49: #2, 0.5/ 4 at 8 p.m.).

Fox’s animated sitcom block occupants also ended their seasons as follows:

Sunday/Fox
8:00 p.m. “The Simpsons”
Viewers: 855,000 (#4); A18-49: 0.3/ 2 (#3)

8:30 p.m. “The Great North”
Viewers: 680,000 (#4); A18-49: 0.2/ 2 (#3t)

9:00 p.m. “Bob’s Burgers”
Viewers: 927,000 (#4); A18-49: 0.3/ 3 (#2t)

9:30 p.m. “The Simpsons”
Viewers: 1.11 million (#4); A18-49: 0.4/ 3 (#2)

Earlier in the evening on Fox was animated “Duncanville” at 593,000 viewers (#4) and a 0.2/ 2 in adults 18-49 (#3) at 7:30 p.m. Despite these anemic results for Fox’s animated on Sunday nights in recent years, the expectation is the network will keep them intact next season…and beyond.

Elsewhere, NBC featured “Dateline” (Viewers: #3, 1.96 million; A18-49: #4, 0.2/ 2 from 9-11 p.m.) out of two repeat episodes of game show “The Weakest Link.” And “Riverdale”, which was renewed by The CW for one final season, was basically off the charts with 245,000 viewers and no recorded results in adults 18-49 at 8 p.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research