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Tuesday Finals: Super Tuesday Supercharges CNN and Fox News Channel to New Rating Highs

CBS remained the Tuesday leader among total viewers (10.69 million) but the Tuesday night premiere of “The Voice” put NBC way on top among adults 18-49 (2.5 rating/8 share), adults 18-34 (1.5/6) and in adults 25-54 (3.4/9).

The multi-state primary and caucus results of Super Tuesday 2016 ignited the cable news networks especially CNN and Fox News Channel with each of these two networks garnering their largest audiences ever to-date for a primary or caucus night.

CNN earned the best adults 25-54 delivery than any cable network on record for a primary/caucus night, averaging 1.6 million from 8-11 p.m. (+5 percent from 2/5/08). In the 10-11 p.m. hour, CNN also bested the Super Tuesday coverage on each CBS (1.42 million) and ABC (1.2 million) within the adults 25-54 demo. Fox News Channel was close behind CNN with 1.36 million (+25 percent from 2/5/08), while MSNBC drew 625,000 (-40 percent from 2/5/08).

Fox News Channel set yet another record for a primary/caucus night with its best-ever Super Tuesday audience figure of 4.88 million total viewers (+40 percent from 2/5/08) in primetime. CNN 4.10 million (+12 percent from 2/5/08), MSNBC approximately 1.98 million (-6 percent from 2/5/08). The three cable news networks combined to total 10.96 million viewers which is an 18 percent increase from the Super Tuesday of eight years ago (9.3 million on Feb. 5, 2008).

Super Tuesday coverage on NBC, CBS and ABC combined for approximately 13 million viewers in the 10-11 p.m. hour. Of all of television in that hour, NBC led in total viewers (5.88 million) and adults 25-54 (~2.3 million), thanks to “The Voice” lead-in.

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Programming Insider Tuesday, March 1, 2016
ABC PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 1.8/3 2759 0.4/2 0.8/3 1.0/3
8:00 The Muppets 1.7/3 2733 0.6/2 0.9/3 1.0/3
9:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter 1.5/2 2349 0.4/2 0.7/2 0.9/2
10:00 Super Tuesday (s) 2.2/4 3195 0.3/2 0.7/2 1.0/3
CBS PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 6.7/11 10688 0.8/3 1.5/5 2.2/6
8:00 NCIS 9.6/16 15444 1.2/5 2.0/7 3.2/9
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans 7.4/12 11724 0.9/3 1.6/5 2.4/6
10:00 Campaign ’16: Super Tuesday (s) 3.4/6 4897 0.5/2 0.8/3 1.2/3
NBC PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 6.3/10 10151 1.5/6 2.5/8 3.4/9
8:00 The Voice 7.5/12 12285 1.8/7 3.0/10 4.2/11
10:00 NBC News: Super Tuesday (s) 3.7/7 5882 0.9/4 1.5/5 1.9/6
Fox PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-10 Network Average 1.3/2 2025 0.7/3 0.8/3 1.0/3
8:00 New Girl 1.7/3 2615 1.0/4 1.2/4 1.3/4
8:30 Grandfathered 1.3/2 2025 0.6/3 0.8/3 0.9/3
9:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 1.1/2 1848 0.6/2 0.8/2 0.9/2
9:30 The Grinder 1.0/2 1612 0.4/2 0.6/2 0.7/2
CW PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-10 Network Average 0.6/1 999 0.2/1 0.3/1 0.3/1
8:00 World Dog Awards (r) 0.6/1 999 0.2/1 0.3/1 0.3/1
Univision PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 1.1/2 1947 0.8/3
7:00 Un Camino Hacia El Destino 1.1/2 2019 0.7/3
8:03 Antes Muerta Que Lichita 1.1/2 1869 0.7/2
9:02 Pasion y Poder 1.3/2 2164 0.9/3
10:02 El Hotel de Los Secretos 1.1/2 1786 0.7/2

Sub-Demo Breakdowns – Tuesday 3/01/16

“The Muppets” (ABC)
Women 18-34: 0.7/3
Men 18-34: 0.5/2
Women 18-49: 1.0/3
Men 18-49: 0.8/3

“Marvel’s Agent Carter” (ABC)
Women 18-34: 0.5/2
Men 18-34: 0.3/2
Women 18-49: 0.8/2
Men 18-49: 0.7/2

“Super Tuesday” (ABC)
Women 18-34: 0.4/1
Men 18-34: 0.3/2
Women 18-49: 0.8/3
Men 18-49: 0.7/2

“NCIS” (CBS)
Women 18-34: 1.2/5
Men 18-34: 1.1/5
Women 18-49: 2.2/7
Men 18-49: 1.9/7

“NCIS: New Orleans” (CBS)
Women 18-34: 0.9/3
Men 18-34: 0.8/3
Women 18-49: 1.8/5
Men 18-49: 1.4/5

“Campaign ’16: Super Tuesday” (CBS)
Women 18-34: 0.5/2
Men 18-34: 0.4/2
Women 18-49: 0.9/3
Men 18-49: 0.7/3

“The Voice” (NBC)
Women 18-34: 2.4/9
Men 18-34: 1.2/5
Women 18-49: 3.8/11
Men 18-49: 2.2/5

“NBC News: Super Tuesday” (NBC)
Women 18-34: 1.2/5
Men 18-34: 0.6/3
Women 18-49: 1.8/6
Men 18-49: 1.1/4

“New Girl” (Fox)
Women 18-34: 1.2/5
Men 18-34: 0.8/4
Women 18-49: 1.3/4
Men 18-49: 1.0/4

“Grandfathered” (Fox)
Women 18-34: 0.9/3
Men 18-34: 0.4/2
Women 18-49: 1.0/3
Men 18-49: 0.6/2

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox)
Women 18-34: 0.8/3
Men 18-34: 0.5/2
Women 18-49: 0.8/2
Men 18-49: 0.7/2

“The Grinder” (Fox)
Women 18-34: 0.6/2
Men 18-34: 0.3/1
Women 18-49: 0.7/2
Men 18-49: 0.6/2

“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)
Women 18-34: 1.04
Men 18-34: 1.02
Women 18-49: 1.12
Men 18-49: 1.18

“The Haves and the Have Nots” (OWN)
Women 18-34: 0.64
Men 18-34: 0.32
Women 18-49: 1.06
Men 18-49: 0.44

“Rizzoli & Isles” (TNT)
Women 18-34: 0.23
Men 18-34: 0.08
Women 18-49: 0.48
Men 18-49: 0.24

“Pretty Little Liars” (Freeform)
Women 18-34: 1.27
Men 18-34: 0.26
Women 18-49: 0.90
Men 18-49: 0.21

“Shadowhunters” (Freeform)
Women 18-34: 0.52
Men 18-34: 0.19
Women 18-49: 0.51
Men 18-49: 0.23

“Teen Wolf” (MTV)
Women 18-34: 0.61
Men 18-34: 0.43
Women 18-49: 0.47
Men 18-49: 0.36

“The Shannara Chronicles” (MTV)
Women 18-34: 0.49
Men 18-34: 0.36
Women 18-49: 0.44
Men 18-49: 0.37

“Outsiders” (WGN America)
Women 18-34: 0.19
Men 18-34: 0.18
Women 18-49: 0.25
Men 18-49: 0.33

Cable Rankings – Tuesday 3/01/16
What follows are the top 20 most-watched shows in prime time on cable for Tuesday, March 1:


  1. “America’s Election Headquarters-Super Tuesday” (Fox News Channel, 9-10 p.m., 3.24 household rating): 5.137 million viewers (0.91 adults 18-49 rating)

  2. “America’s Election Headquarters-Super Tuesday” (Fox News Channel, 8-9 p.m., 3.04 household rating): 4.875 million viewers (0.74 adults 18-49 rating)

  3. “America’s Election Headquarters-Super Tuesday” (Fox News Channel, 10-11 p.m., 2.91 household rating): 4.636 million viewers (0.84 adults 18-49 rating)

  4. “America’s Choice-Super Tuesday” (CNN, 9-10 p.m., 2.84 household rating): 4.483 million viewers (1.25 adults 18-49 rating)

  5. “America’s Choice-Super Tuesday” (CNN, 8-9 p.m., 2.51 household rating): 3.969 million viewers (1.07 adults 18-49 rating)

  6. “America’s Choice-Super Tuesday” (CNN, 10-11 p.m., 2.42 household rating): 3.849 million viewers (1.08 adults 18-49 rating)

  7. “Fixer Upper” (HGTV, 9-10 p.m.): 2.924 (0.81)

  8. “The Haves and the Have Nots” (OWN, 9-10 p.m.): 2.799 (0.75)

  9. “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX, 10-11:16 p.m.): 2.718 (1.15)

  10. “Rizzoli & Isles” (TNT, 9-10 p.m.): 2.431 (0.46)

  11. “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 10:30-11 p.m.): 2.244 (0.72)

  12. “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 10-10:30 p.m.): 2.183 (0.66)

  13. “The Place for Politics-Super Tuesday” (MSNBC, 8-11 p.m., 1.33 household rating): 1.982 million viewers (0.40 adults 18-49 rating)

  14. “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 9:30-10 p.m.): 1.875 (0.62)

  15. “House Hunters” (HGTV, 10-10:30 p.m.): 1.828 (0.40)

  16. “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 9-9:30 p.m.): 1.824 (0.61)

  17. “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 8:30-9 p.m.): 1.759 (0.62)

  18. “Fixer Upper” (HGTV, 8-9 p.m.): 1.725 (0.47)

  19. “House Hunters International” (HGTV, 10:30-11 p.m.): 1.714 (0.36)

  20. “American Dad” (Adult Swim, 10:30-11 p.m.): 1.690 (0.75)


  • “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (Bravo, 9-10 p.m.): 1.668 (0.60)

  • “Moonshiners” (Discovery, 9-10 p.m.): 1.594 (0.59)

  • “College Basketball: Indiana @ Iowa” (ESPN, 9:18-11:17 p.m., 0.93 household rating): 1.394 million viewers (0.39 adults 18-49 rating)

  • “Counting Cars” (History, 9:31-10:03 p.m.): 1.358 (0.44)

  • “Dance Moms” (Lifetime, 9-10:02 p.m.): 1.288 (0.49)

  • “Married at First Sight” (A&E, 9-10:01 p.m.): 1.262 (0.49)

  • “Counting Cars: Best of” (History, 9-9:31 p.m.): 1.194 (0.35)

  • “Little Couple” (TLC, 9-10:01 p.m.): 1.179 (0.33)

  • “Pretty Little Liars” (Freeform, 8-9 p.m.): 1.145 (0.55)

  • “Chopped” (Food Network, 10-11 p.m.): 1.122 (0.34)

  • “See No Evil” (ID, 10-11 p.m.): 1.084 (0.31)

  • “Forged in Fire” (History, 10:03-11:03 p.m.): 1.004 (0.37)

  • “Teen Wolf” (MTV, 9-10 p.m.): 0.905 (0.42)

  • “Ink Master” (Spike, 10-11 p.m.): 0.879 (0.43)

  • “Shadowhunters” (Freeform, 9-10 p.m.): 0.871 (0.37)

  • “The Shannara Chronicles” (MTV, 10-11:01 p.m.): 0.854 (0.40)

  • “Little Couple: Big Updates” (TLC, 8-9 p.m.): 0.836 (0.23)

  • “Tosh.0” (Comedy Central, 10-10:30 p.m.): 0.807 (0.48)

  • “It’s a Mann’s World” (BET, 10:30-11 p.m.): 0.787 (0.33)

  • “Rattled” (TLC, 10:01-11:02 p.m.): 0.777 (0.23)

  • “It’s a Mann’s World” (BET, 10-10:30 p.m.): 0.743 (0.31)

  • “Outsiders” (WGN America, 9-9:59 p.m.): 0.728 (0.29)

  • “Married at First Sight” (FYI, 9-10:03 p.m.): 0.727 (0.28)

  • “Obsession: Dark Desires” (ID, 9-10 p.m.): 0.712 (0.19)

  • “NBA Basketball: Atlanta Hawks @ Golden State Warriors” (NBA TV, 10:30 p.m.-1:15 a.m., 0.45 household rating): 0.684 million viewers (0.28 adults 18-49 rating)

  • “What on Earth” (Science Channel, 9-10 p.m.): 0.657 (0.19)

  • “The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition” (Lifetime, 10:02-11:02 p.m.): 0.638 (0.19)

  • “Total Divas” (E!, 9-10 p.m.): 0.591 (0.33)

  • “Fit to Fat to Fit” (A&E, 10:01-11:02 p.m.): 0.542 (0.26)

  • “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser” (Comedy Central, 10:30-11 p.m.): 0.511 (0.27)

  • “NHL Hockey: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Washington Capitals” (NBCSN, 7:33-10:14 p.m., 0.27 household rating): 0.465 million viewers (0.18 adults 18-49 rating)


Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

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