CBS aired six of the seven programs to average more than 10 million viewers last week, including the most-watched Grammy ceremony since 2014, to finish first in the network ratings race, according to live-plus- same day figures released Tuesday by Nielsen.
CBS averaged 10.29 million viewers for its prime-time programming between Feb. 6 and Sunday, for its fourth first-place finish in five weeks and 10th time in the 21-week-old prime-time television season.
ABC was second, averaging 5.14 million, followed by NBC, which averaged 4.51 million, and Fox, which averaged 3.14 million viewers.
CBS’ coverage of Sunday’s 59th annual Grammy Awards ceremony averaged 26.071 million viewers, a 4.5 percent increase from last year’s ceremony, which averaged 24.96 million viewers, the least for the Grammys since 2009.
Last year’s ceremony aired on a Monday, when fewer people customarily are watching television.
CBS had five of the week’s six most-watched scripted programs, topped by “NCIS,” which averaged 15.571 million viewers, finishing second overall.
The most-watched non-CBS program was the first episode of the second half of the seventh season of the AMC horror series “The Walking Dead,” which averaged 11.996 million viewers, fourth overall and third among scripted programs.
“The Walking Dead” was the week’s second most-watched program among viewers ages 18-49, averaging 7.34 million viewers.
The Grammys were first among the group targeted by NBC, ABC and Fox and coveted by advertisers, averaging 10.045 million viewers, while the CBS comedy “The Big Bang Theory” was third, averaging 3.89 million.
The week’s only premiere, the Fox crime drama “APB,” was third in its Feb. 6 9-10 p.m. time slot and 33rd for the week, averaging 6.102 million viewers. “APB” retained 98 percent of the audience of the second episode of “24: Legacy” which preceded it.
The amount of viewers a series retains from the program preceding it is among the factors network executives consider when deciding whether to renew a series.
“APB” was Fox’s third most-watched program of the week behind “Lethal Weapon,” 27th for the week, averaging 6.249 million viewers, and “24: Legacy,” which averaged 6.224 million, 28th for the week.
CBS, ABC and NBC each broadcast 22 hours of prime-time programming for ratings purposes while Fox aired 15.
Fox News Channel was the most-watched cable network for the fourth consecutive week, averaging 2.888 million viewers. HGTV was second for the second consecutive week, averaging 1.666 million and AMC third, averaging 1.665 million..
Episodes of the Fox News Channel talk show “The O’Reilly Factor” were the week’s four most-watched prime-time cable programs behind “The Walking Dead” and its companion talk show “The Talking Dead.”
The week’s most-watched Spanish-language prime-time program was the Thursday episode of the Univision telenovela “El Color De Las Pasion,” which averaged 2.473 million viewers, 101st overall.
Long-time leader Univision averaged 1.85 million viewers to be the most- watched Spanish-language network for the 14th consecutive week and 16th time in 17 weeks.
Telemundo was second, averaging 1.53 million viewers, followed by UniMas, which averaged 820,000 viewers, Estrella TV, which averaged 250,000, and Azteca America, which averaged 140,000.
The week’s 10 most-watched prime-time programs were the 59th annual Grammy Awards, “NCIS,” and “The Big Bang Theory,” all on CBS; the AMC horror series “The Walking Dead”; CBS’ “Bull,” “Blue Bloods,” the half- hour Grammy red carpet show and “Hawaii Five-0”; NBC’s “This Is Us”; and CBS’ “NCIS: New Orleans.”
—City News Service