Wednesday, June 30, 2021

TV Ratings: Sports Dominates The Top Ten


“America’s Got Talent,” which is well-established as TV’s favorite live show of the summer, reached seven million viewers last week with auditions for its 16th season on NBC, reports The Associated Press citing Nielsen company data.

ABC found some viewers for its premiere of “When Nature Calls,” where Helen Mirren narrates comedic film clips from the wild, a reboot of a BBC series.

Otherwise, the NBA conference finals and Olympic trials drew many TV viewers.

NBC won the week with an average of 3.5 million viewers in prime time. CBS had 3 million, ABC had 2.7 million, Fox had 1.7 million, Univision had 1.2 million, Ion Television had 1.02 million and Telemundo had 990,000.

Top 20 Prime-Time Shows (Total Viewers: 

1. “America’s Got Talent,” NBC, 7.01 million.

2. “Olympic Trials: Women’s Gymnastics” (Sunday), NBC, 5.75 million.

3. NBA Conference Finals: Milwaukee at Atlanta (Sunday), TNT, 5.6 million.

4. NBA Conference Finals: Phoenix at L.A. Clippers (Saturday), ESPN, 5.54 million.

5. NBA Conference Finals: Phoenix at L.A. Clippers (Thursday), ESPN, 5.33 million.

6. NBA Conference Finals: Atlanta at Milwaukee (Wednesday), TNT, 5.3 million.

7. NBA Conference Finals: L.A. Clippers at Phoenix (Tuesday), ESPN, 5.27 million.

8. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 5.04 million.

9. “Olympic Trials: Women’s Gymnastics” (Friday), NBC, 4.59 million.

10. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.38 million.

11. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 4.35 million.

12. “NCIS,” CBS, 4.16 million.

13. “Olympic Trials: Track & Field” (Monday), NBC, 3.97 million.

14. “United States of Al,” CBS, 3.83 million.

15. NBA Conference Finals: Atlanta at Milwaukee (Friday), TNT, 3.7 million.

16. “When Nature Calls,” ABC, 3.698 million.

17. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 3.67 million.

18. “FBI,” CBS, 3.65 million.

19. “The Neighborhood,” CBS, 3.58 million.

20. “The $100,000 Pyramid,” ABC, 3.56 million.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” was the most popular evening news show, averaging 7.8 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 6.3 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 4.7 million.

For the week, ESPN won a tight race for cable supremacy, averaging 2.19 million viewers in prime time. TNT had 2.18 million, Fox News Channel had 2.15 million, MSNBC had 1.32 million and HGTV had 1.13 million.

TV Newser reports Fox News average the most total viewers on cable TV for the quarter (marking six consecutive quarters at No. 1 in prime time), and it swept its cable news competition in total day and prime time total viewers and in the key 25-54 demo, reclaiming its lead in all categories, according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data.

In total day, Fox News averaged roughly 1.2 million viewers, and 204,000 in the A25-54 demo.  In prime, FNC averaged nearly 2.2 million viewers, and 347,000 in the demo. FNC claimed five of the top six cable news programs in overall viewers, seven of the top eight in the key 25-54 demo and comprised 39 of the top 100 cable telecasts.

Compared to the most recent quarter, when Fox News finished No. 1 in prime time, but fell to third place in average total day, Fox shed -12% of its average total prime time audience and -11% in the prime time demo. FNC fell by -10% in total day viewers and -8% in total day demo. So, while Fox News experienced a quarter-to-quarter ratings decline, its losses were nowhere near what CNN and MSNBC endured.

Fox News’ year-over-year losses were sharper. The network shed -39% of its average total audience, -44% in the prime time demo, 39% in total day viewers and -44% in the total day demo. Now, to be fair, Fox News set cable news records in Q2 2020. Tucker Carlson Tonight averaged more than 4.3 million total viewers per original broadcast, a quarterly record for a cable news show, and the network as a whole averaged 3.57 million viewers in prime time and 1.96 million in total day – also cable news records for quarterly viewership.

During the second quarter of 2021, MSNBC finished No. 2 across all of basic cable in average total prime time viewers (1.46 million) and in average total day viewers (847,000). According to live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen, the network also averaged 198,000 in the prime time demo, and 115,000 in the total day demo in Q2, according to TV Newser.

MSNBC’s ratings are not trending in a positive direction. Compared to the most recent quarter (when MSNBC finished No. 1 on all of cable in total day viewership, driven by coverage of the early days of the Biden administration), the network is -38% in total day viewers and -47% in the total day demo. The network also shed -35% in total prime-time viewers, and -46% in the prime-time demo.

In Q2, CNN averaged 914,000 total viewers in prime time, a loss of -53% from Q1, and 654,000 total day viewers, -51% from its Q1 average. The network also averaged 224,000 adults 25-54 in prime time, and 160,000 adults 25-54 in total day, both figures substantially down from Q1.

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