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

SNL Beats Last Year’s October Average by 2.9 Million Viewers

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Oct. 25, 2016 – "Saturday Night Live" has delivered new season highs and its most-watched October telecast in eight years, according to “live plus same day” official-national ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

The show’s Oct. 22 edition, with host Tom Hanks and musical guest Lady Gaga, averaged 8.653 million viewers, highest for an October “SNL” since Oct. 25, 2008, when an episode featuring host Jon Hamm and musical guest Coldplay averaged 9.345 million.

The 8.653 million viewers is a jump of +51% or 2.9 million persons over the 5.749 million “SNL” averaged last year with October originals.

In adults 18-49, last weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” averaged a 2.41 rating, 12 share in L+SD, also a new season high and best for an October “SNL” since Oct. 5, 2013 (2.66 with host and musical guest Miley Cyrus). Versus the show’s October 2015 average for originals, the Oct. 8 telecast is up +38% in 18-49 (2.41 vs. 1.75).

Counting all “Saturday Night Live” telecasts, it’s the most-watched edition since Nov. 7, 2015 and highest rated in 18-49 since Nov. 1, 2014.

The show’s prior highs for this season came with the Oct. 1 season premiere, hosted by Margot Robbie and featuring musical guest The Weeknd as well as the first appearance by Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, which averaged 8.297 million viewers overall and a 2.34 rating, 11 share in adults 18-49 in “live plus same day” Nielsens.

In “live plus seven day” ratings, the Oct. 1 season premiere grew to 12.194 million viewers overall, best for an “SNL” debut in 22 years (since Sept. 24, 1994, 12.201 viewers with host Steve Martin and musical guest Eric Clapton). In 18-49, the season premiere grew to a 3.84 rating in L+7, best for an “SNL” opener in eight years (since Sept. 13, 2008, 4.94 with host Michael Phelps, musical guest Lil Wayne and Tina Fey as Gov. Sarah Palin).

The season’s Week 2 telecast on Oct. 8, with host Lin-Manuel Miranda and musical guest Twenty One Pilots, averaged a 2.11 rating in 18-49 and 7.140 million viewers in L+SD Nielsens, and in Week 3, with host Emily Blunt and musical guest Bruno Mars, the Oct. 15 edition averaged a 1.98 in 18-49 and 7.016 million viewers overall.

Supergirl Debuts to Super Ratings on CBS

Melissa Benoist stars in "Supergirl" on CBS, which made its debut Monday to strong ratings, coming in tied for second with NBC's "The Voice" for the night (Photo by CBS).

LOS ANGELES - CBS's "Supergirl" debuted to super ratings Monday night with 12.9 million total viewers and a 3.2 demo rating with make Supergirl this fall’s number 1 series premiere.

Airing in the 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., it retained 70 percent of the young-adult audience for “The Big Bang Theory” in the 8 p.m. half-hour. The show, starring Melissa Benoist was tied with NBC’s “The Voice” as No. 2, just behind “Big Bang” among Monday’s entertainment series. But next week, it won't have "Big Bang" as a lead-in when it takes the 8 p.m. Monday slot opposite Monday powerhouse, "The Voice."

Supergirl tells the story of Superman's cousin, office assistant Kara Danvers, who must often battle her overbearing boss, Cat Grant, played by Calista Flockhart.

The show was developed by Ali Adler ("Chuck"), Greg Berlanti ("The Flash") and Andrew Kreisberg ("The Flash") for Berlanti Productions and CBS.