CBS Wins Ratings Battle for Third Consecutive Year

LOS ANGELES – For the third year in a row, CBS has won the ratings battle across primetime, daytime and late night, earning a ratings trifecta for the Tiffany network.

According to Nielsen NPower (6+ minute qualifier), CBS has reached 239 million viewers this season across all dayparts, beating its closest competitor (NBC) by +9.4 million viewers.

CBS Primetime is currently averaging 9.03 million viewers and won 22 of the season’s 34 weeks and the last 12 consecutive weeks on the strength of a schedule deep with hit shows and top-rated nights.

CBS also had:

•  THE BIG BANG THEORY ranked as the season’s “most-watched” series, repeating a mark that the comedy claimed last season. YOUNG SHELDON was the #2 comedy followed by MOM at #3. 
• 13 of the top 30 “most-watched” broadcast series – more than any other network.
• 12 time-period-winning programs, more than all other networks combined.
• 11 series averaging 10+ million viewers, more than any other network. 
•  Eight of the top 10 comedies – more than the other networks combined.
• 11 of the top 20 broadcast dramas – more than the other networks combined
• All three series in the NCIS franchise delivering more than 10 million viewers with the original NCIS returning to the top as the season’s most-watched drama.
• 60 MINUTES as the most-watched news program.

On the late night side, THE LATE SHOW currently leads “The Tonight Show” by +1.37 viewers (3.81m vs. 2.44m, +55%), an increase over last year’s +1.2m viewer win (3.89m vs. 2.69m). This marks CBS’ third consecutive late night win – the program’s longest winning streak and the largest margin of victory for CBS over “The Tonight Show” since 1993-1994. THE LATE SHOW will also finish +18,000 viewers ahead in adults 18-49 (677k versus 659k), after trailing NBC by -72k adults 18-49 last season. This is THE LATE SHOW’s first adults 18-49 win in its current iteration and first overall since 1994-1995.

With live plus 3-day ratings, THE LATE SHOW won every week of first-run broadcasts against first-run weeks of “The Tonight Show” in viewers with all but one (24 of 25) posting a margin of victory of +1 million viewers or more.

The combination of THE LATE SHOW and THE LATE LATE SHOW easily wins late night by +600k viewers (CBS, 2.54m viewers versus NBC, 1.94m and ABC, 1.76m), up +18% from last season’s +510k viewer margin of victory.

On the daytime side, CBS has dominated the daytime landscape for the past 33 years, and this season was no exception. CBS beat its closest competition in daytime by +1.3 million viewers (3.72m versus NBC’s 2.43m). The Network won in the key women 25-54 demographic (0.9 versus 0.8) and tied for first in women 18-49 (0.6). CBS also had seven of the top 10 most-watched shows in daytime:

1.      THE PRICE IS RIGHT 2

2.      THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

3.      THE PRICE IS RIGHT 1

4.      THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

5.      LET’S MAKE A DEAL 2

CBS to Debut Romance Reality Show 'Love Island' on July 9

LOS ANGELES – The new CBS romance and relationships reality series LOVE ISLAND will premiere Tuesday, July 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). New episodes will air every weeknight (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) through Wednesday, August 7. The series is produced by ITV Entertainment, an ITV America company.

“As the buzziest reality show in the U.K., LOVE ISLAND has won the hearts of viewers across the pond as well as around the world, creating appointment viewing and fanfare for audiences everywhere. We are thrilled to bring our version of this cultural phenomenon to CBS,” said Sharon Vuong, Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming. “This fun, light-hearted series is like watching your favorite romantic comedy five nights a week!”

LOVE ISLAND begins as a group of single “Islanders” come together in a stunning villa in Fiji, ready to embark on a summer of love, friendships and, ultimately, relationships. Every few days the Islanders must couple-up – those who fail to find a partner to couple up with risk being dumped from the island. Islanders are on the lookout for romance, but the road to love doesn’t always run smoothly. Challenges abound with new Islander arrivals and dramatic twists as friendships and relationships form. In addition to choosing their partners wisely, Islanders must also win the hearts of viewers who have the opportunity to shape events on screen and ultimately crown one lucky couple the winner, who will then have the chance to walk away with both love and the cash prize.

Additional details including series host and the cast of Islanders will be announced at a later date.

LOVE ISLAND is produced by ITV Entertainment, an ITV America company. David George, Adam Sher, David Eilenberg, Simon Thomas, Mandy Morris, Ben Thursby, Richard Foster and Chet Fenster are executive producers. The series is based on a format owned by ITV Studios and Motion Content Group, and distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Cedric the Entertainer to Host 'Lip Sync to the Rescue' Special on CBS

LOS ANGELES – Inspired by the recent viral video phenomenon #LipSyncChallenge, CBS has announced a new one-hour entertainment special, LIP SYNC TO THE RESCUE, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, star of CBS’ hit comedy THE NEIGHBORHOOD, to be broadcast later this year on the CBS Television Network.

LIP SYNC TO THE RESCUE is an interactive countdown special where viewers vote for their favorite video of performances featuring first responders channeling their inner pop stars and lip-syncing to hit music, a trend that began with the #LipSyncChallenge. The winner will be announced LIVE during the broadcast.#LipSyncChallenge began as a fun way for police, sheriff, fire department and EMTs to engage with their communities by creating lip sync music videos and challenging other departments to do the same. Now, on LIP SYNC TO THE RESCUE, fans can rally around their favorite videos when the first round of voting begins on CBS.com this month. The top 10 videos selected will be revealed during the show, which will film in front of an audience of first responders, family and friends.

Two videos will advance to the LIVE vote during the broadcast to crown a winner.To submit a video for consideration, first responder departments are encouraged to email the video to LS2Rescue@gmail.com. Deadline for entries is Friday, April 12.

“When CBS first approached us with the idea for a special, we had no idea how deep the vault was of Lip Sync Challenge videos,” said Robert Horowitz, President, Juma Entertainment. “Soon, we uncovered video after video, quickly realizing this phenomenon spread to First Responder Departments in all 50 states. What made me believe we had a hit on our hands was the incredible performances and production value each video seemed to have.”