Fast National ratings for Thursday, August 28, 2014.
While it seems likely that “Big Brother” will have led CBS to its usual Thursday wins, NFL Preseason preemptions on all five networks have rendered these numbers almost completely meaningless.
CBS offered exact details for its preemptions, which were 27 percent in the 8 p.m. hour, 23 percent in the 9 p.m. hour and 13 percent in the 10 p.m. hour, while I have a list of overall preemptions for each network that pretty much make these figures moot, top-to-bottom.
On to the entirely inaccurate numbers…
Among adults 18-49, CBS averaged a 1.7 rating for Thursday night, tops in the key demographic. FOX's 1.3 key demo rating and the 1.2 key demo rating for NBC followed, while ABC averaged a 1.0 key demo rating. Even The CW got a big boost, averaging a 0.5 key demo rating for the night.
Overall, CBS averaged an estimated 6.125 million viewers and a 4.0 rating/7 share for Thursday primetime. NBC was second with a 3.2/6 and 4.87 million viewers, followed by the 4.73 million viewers and 2.9/5 for FOX. ABC was fourth with nearly 4 million viewers and a 2.6/4, while The CW averaged an inflated 0.8/1 and 1.33 million viewers.
8 p.m. – Repeats of “Two and a Half Men” and “The Millers” averaged 6.4 million viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49 to lead CBS in the 8 p.m. hour. NBC's “Hollywood Game Night” repeat averaged an absurdly inflated 5.86 million viewers and 1.5 key demo rating. FOX's “Sleepy Hollow” repeat averaged 4.46 million viewers and a 1.2 key demo rating, topping the 4.11 million viewers and 0.9 key demo rating for “The Quest” on ABC. The CW's repeat of “The Vampire Diaries” averaged 1.375 million viewers and a 0.5 key demo rating.
9 p.m. – “Big Brother” averaged nearly 7.5 million viewers and a 2.5 rating among adults 18-49 for CBS in the 9 p.m. hour, with the inflated figure actually coming in within recent range for “Big Brother.” FOX's “Bones” repeat was inflated to 4.99 million viewers and a 1.3 key demo rating in second, ahead of the 4.65 million viewers and 1.2 key demo rating for NBC's two “Welcome to Sweden” episodes. ABC's “The Quest” averaged 3.715 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating. On The CW, a repeat of “The Originals” averaged 1.28 million viewers and a 0.5 key demo rating.
10 p.m. – CBS' repeat of “Elementary” averaged 4.48 million viewers and a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49 in the 10 p.m. hour, compared with the 4.17 million viewers and 1.1 key demo rating for ABC's “World's Wildest Commercials” special. NBC's “America's Got Talent” encore averaged 4.115 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating.
All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change, particularly in the case of live events.