The top ratings performer on New Year’s Eve — as usual on every New Year’s Eve since the 1970’s — is “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” in late night from New York’s Times Square as the clock struck midnight on the East Coast.
In prime time, a new ratings winner emerged: ABC’s fellow Disney partner ESPN with their college football playoff semifinal doubleheader: the “Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma”, then the “Cotton Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State”.
On the surface, ESPN was a juggernaut relative to other New Year’s Eve programming, as it nearly doubled ABC (its closest competitive network) in total viewers and adults 18-49.
However, the shift from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve for the playoff games proved costly. Compared to the year-ago semifinals’ total viewership which took place on Jan. 1, 2015, the late afternoon contest fell 45 percent while the evening matchup had a 34 percent drop.
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| Thursday, December 31, 2015 | ||||||
 |
PROGRAM | HH/Share | Viewers (000) |
Adults 18-34 |
Adults 18-49 |
Adults 25-54 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-11 | Network Average | 4.7/9 | 9445 | 2.2/11 | 2.8/11 | 3.3/10 |
| 8:00 | Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (s) | 4.1/8 | 8132 | 1.8/8 | 2.3/9 | 2.8/9 |
| 9:59 | Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (s) | 6.0/12 | 13015 | 3.1/15 | 3.9/14 | 4.5/14 |
 |
PROGRAM | HH/Share | Viewers (000) |
Adults 18-34 |
Adults 18-49 |
Adults 25-54 |
| 8-11 | Network Average | 2.3/5 | 3940 | 0.4/2 | 0.6/2 | 0.9/3 |
| 8:00 | Big Bang Theory (r) | 3.8/7 | 6016 | 0.6/3 | 1.0/4 | 1.7/5 |
| 8:31 | Life in Pieces (r) | 2.3/4 | 3785 | 0.4/2 | 0.7/2 | 1.0/3 |
| 9:01 | Mom (r) | 2.1/4 | 3267 | 0.3/1 | 0.5/2 | 0.8/3 |
| 9:30 | 2 Broke Girls (r) | 1.8/4 | 2845 | 0.3/1 | 0.5/2 | 0.8/2 |
| 10:00 | Elementary (r) | 1.8/4 | 2815 | 0.2/1 | 0.5/2 | 0.6/2 |
 |
PROGRAM | HH/Share | Viewers (000) |
Adults 18-34 |
Adults 18-49 |
Adults 25-54 |
| 8-11 | Network Average | 2.6/5 | 4795 | 0.7/3 | 1.0/4 | 1.4/4 |
| 8:00 | Toast to 2015 (s) | 2.8/6 | 4777 | 0.7/3 | 1.0/4 | 1.4/4 |
| 10:00 | New Year’s Eve Game Night with Andy Cohen (s) | 2.1/4 | 3718 | 0.8/4 | 1.0/4 | 1.3/4 |
 |
PROGRAM | HH/Share | Viewers (000) |
Adults 18-34 |
Adults 18-49 |
Adults 25-54 |
| 8-10 | Network Average | 1.5/3 | 2629 | 0.7/3 | 0.9/3 | 1.1/3 |
| 8:00 | Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution (s) | 1.5/3 | 2629 | 0.7/3 | 0.9/3 | 1.1/3 |
 |
PROGRAM | HH/Share | Viewers (000) |
Adults 18-34 |
Adults 18-49 |
Adults 25-54 |
| 8-10 | Network Average | 0.5/1 | 838 | 0.2/1 | 0.2/1 | 0.3/1 |
| 8:00 | iHeartRadio Music Festival (r) | 0.5/1 | 838 | 0.2/1 | 0.2/1 | 0.3/1 |
 |
PROGRAM | HH/Share | Viewers (000) |
Adults 18-34 |
Adults 18-49 |
Adults 25-54 |
| 8-11 | Network Average | 0.9/2 | 1620 | 0.6/2 | ||
| 7:00 | Premio Lo Nuestro 2015 (s) | 0.6/1 | 1097 | 0.3/1 | ||
| 8:00 | Feliz 2016 (s) | 0.8/2 | 1536 | 0.5/2 | ||
| 10:00 | Feliz 2016 (s) (thru 12:30am) | 1.0/2 | 2065 | 0.8/3 | ||
Sub-Demo Breakdowns – Thursday 12/31/15
ABC’s “Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” (8pm) (Women 18-34: 2.0/9; Men 18-34: 1.5/7; Women 18-49: 2.6/9; Men 18-49: 2.0/8)
ABC’s “Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” (9:59pm) (Women 18-34: 3.7/16; Men 18-34: 2.6/13; Women 18-49: 4.4/16; Men 18-49: 3.5/13)
NBC’s “Toast to 2015” (Women 18-34: 0.7/3; Men 18-34: 0.6/3; Women 18-49: 1.2/4; Men 18-49: 0.8/3)
NBC’s “New Year’s Eve Game Night with Andy Cohen” (Women 18-34: 0.8/4; Men 18-34: 0.7/3; Women 18-49: 1.1/4; Men 18-49: 0.9/3)
Fox’s “Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution” (Women 18-34: 0.9/4; Men 18-34: 0.5/2; Women 18-49: 1.0/4; Men 18-49: 0.7/3)
ESPN’s “Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma” (Women 18-34: 2.56; Men 18-34: 4.90; Women 18-49: 3.04; Men 18-49: 6.37)
ESPN’s “Cotton Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State” (Women 18-34: 3.29; Men 18-34: 5.06; Women 18-49: 4.21; Men 18-49: 6.83)
CNN’s “New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” (Women 18-34: 0.31; Men 18-34: 0.28; Women 18-49: 0.44; Men 18-49: 0.46)
Cable Rankings – Thursday 12/31/15
What follows are the top 20 most-watched shows in prime time on cable for Thursday, December 31:
- “College Football Playoff: Cotton Bowl: Alabama vs. Clemson” (ESPN, 8:20-11:31 p.m., 9.60 household rating, 5.51 adults 18-49 rating): 18.552 million
- “College Football Studio” (ESPN, 8:08-8:20 p.m., 9.54 household rating, 5.45 adults 18-49 rating): 18.090
- “College Football Studio” (ESPN, 8:01-8:08 p.m., 8.91 household rating, 5.07 adults 18-49 rating): 16.764
- “College Football Playoff: Orange Bowl Classic: Clemson vs. Oklahoma” (ESPN, 4:10-8:01 p.m., 9.05 household rating, 4.70 adults 18-49 rating): 15.640
- “WWE SmackDown” (Syfy, 8 p.m., 1.00 household rating): 1.658
- “New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” (CNN, 8 p.m.-12:38 a.m., 0.94 household rating, 0.45 adults 18-49 rating): 1.623
- “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 9:30 p.m.): 1.389
- “American Dad” (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 1.298
- “Liv and Maddie” (Disney Channel, 8 p.m.): 1.256
- “Jessie” (Disney Channel, 8:30 p.m.): 1.244
- “American Dad” (Adult Swim, 10 p.m.): 1.193
- “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 9 p.m.): 1.187
- Movie: “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King ” (2003) (TNT, 8 p.m.): 1.177
- “American Pickers” (History, 9 p.m.): 1.153
- “American Pickers” (History, 10 p.m.): 1.140
- “American Pickers” (History, 8 p.m.): 1.124
- “Caribbean Life” (HGTV, 10 p.m.): 1.120
- “Caribbean Life” (HGTV, 10:30 p.m.): 1.075
- “Caribbean Life” (HGTV, 9:30 p.m.): 1.055
- “Liv and Maddie” (Disney Channel, 10:30 p.m.): 1.030
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
FROM CBS
“THE BIG BANG THEORY” SETS NEW TELEVISION RECORD FOR THE LARGEST LIVE +7-DAY VIEWER LIFT
The Dec. 17 Broadcast Featuring Sheldon and Amy’s Big Romantic Night
Adds +7.18 Million Viewers With L+7
CBS Has Nine of the Week’s Top 10 Programs in Viewer Lift and
All of the Top 10 in Adult 18-49
CBS Moves Into First for the Week in Adults 18-49
THE BIG BANG THEORY set a new television record for the largest live + 7-day viewer lift, adding +7.18 million viewers, breaking the prior record of +6.95m for the series premiere of “How to Get Away With Murder” on Sept. 25, 2014.
THE BIG BANG THEORY’s Dec. 17 episode, featuring Sheldon and Amy romantically moving their relationship forward, increased +42% from its live + same day average (24.43m from 17.25m), making it the season’s most-watched episode of a scripted program.
THE BIG BANG THEORY’s +7.18 million viewer lift alone was greater than the total L+7 audience for 58 of the week’s 85 primetime broadcasts.
For the week ending Dec. 20, CBS had nine of the week’s top 10 programs in viewer lift and all of the top 10 in adults 18-49, also paced by THE BIG BANG THEORY with a gain of +2.9 ratings points, a +71% increase from live + same day (7.0 from 4.1). THE BIG BANG THEORY’s adults 18-49 lift would rank as the week’s #10 program in L+7 viewing.
For the week, CBS gained +0.6 in adults 18-49 (+33% from live + same day) and moved ahead of NBC (2.4 vs. 2.2).
Alvin 6-7:30pm please?
Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks (Nickelodeon, 12/31 6:00-6:30 p.m.) 1.276 million viewers
Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks (Nickelodeon, 12/31 6:30-7:00 p.m.) 1.309 million viewers
Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks (Nickelodeon, 12/31 7:00-7:30 p.m.) 1.280 million viewers
And Henry Danger 5-6pm?
Henry Danger (Nickelodeon, 12/31 5:00-5:30 p.m.) 1.339 million viewers
Henry Danger (Nickelodeon, 12/31 5:30-6:00 p.m.) 1.315 million viewers
ABC and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve !
Do you have ratings for Teen Titans Go! and The Amazing World of Gumball (7-10 am)? Thanks!
Teen Titans Go (Cartoon Network, 12/31 7:00-7:30 a.m.) 712,000 viewers, 0.3 adults 18-49 rating
Teen Titans Go (Cartoon Network, 12/31 7:30-8:00 a.m.) 847,000 viewers, 0.3 adults 18-49 rating
Amazing World of Gumball (Cartoon Network, 12/31 9:00-9:30 a.m.) 1.243 million viewers, 0.2 adults 18-49 rating
Amazing World of Gumball (Cartoon Network, 12/31 9:30-10:00 a.m.) 1.253 million viewers, 0.2 adults 18-49 rating
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What are the ratings for Nick at Nite movie aired at 9PM-11:30PM please? That movie is called Zookeeper.
Zookeeper (Nick at Nite, 12/31 9:00-11:30 p.m.) 904,000 viewers, 0.3 adults 18-49 rating