Fast National ratings for Wednesday, May 1, 2013.
Although “American Idol” took a steep dip and hit its latest series low for a Wednesday performance episode, FOX still won the night in all key measures.
It helped that, as is becoming a pretty regular thing this spring, nearly everything else was down as well, including series lows for “Survivor,” “Criminal Minds” and “CSI.” Plus, “Family Tools” debuted to what a rival network claims was ABC’s lowest-rated comedy debut ever.
If you’re looking for better news, “How To Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)” got a big bump (thanks to “Modern Family”), while “Chicago Fire” was up very slightly.
Among adults 18-49, FOX averaged a 2.8 rating for Wednesday night, beating CBS’ 2.2 rating in the key demographic. ABC was close behind with a 2.1 key demo rating, followed by NBC’s 1.6 rating and the 0.9 key demo rating for The CW.
Overall, FOX averaged an estimated 11.075 million viewers for Wednesday night along with a 7.0 rating/11 share. CBS was second with 9.45 million viewers and a 6.1 rating/10 share, well in front of ABC’s 4.3/7 and 6.57 and NBC’s 3.9/6 and 5.88 million. The CW averaged 2.46 million viewers and a 1.5/2 for the night.
[Univision averaged 3.44 million viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49 for Thursday.]
8 p.m. – FOX’s “American Idol” drew 10.15 million viewers and a 2.6 rating among adults 18-49 for its first hour. CBS’ “Survivor” averaged 9.065 million viewers and a 2.3 key demo rating, maintaining last week’s deficit behind “Idol.” ABC was third with “The Middle” (7.27 million and a 2.0 key demo rating) and the premiere of “Family Tools” (5.77 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo rating). NBC’s “The Voice” filler episode averaged 5.57 million viewers and a 1.6 key demo rating in fourth. On The CW, “Arrow” averaged 2.805 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating.
9 p.m. – “American Idol” was up a little to 12 million viewers and a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49 for FOX in the 9 p.m. hour. CBS’ “Criminal Minds” averaged 9.97 million viewers for second and a 2.3 key demo rating in third. ABC was second in the key demo and third overall with “Modern Family” (9.535 million and a 3.5 key demo) and “How To Live…” (6.25 million viewers and a 2.2 key demo). NBC’ “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” slipped from last week with 5.72 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo rating. The CW’s “Supernatural” averaged 2.12 million and a 0.9 key demo rating.
10 p.m. – “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” won the 10 p.m. hour with 9.31 million viewers and a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49. “Chicago Fire” was second with 6.35 million viewers and a 1.7 key demo rating, compared to the 5.3 million viewers and 1.7 key demo rating for ABC’s “Nashville.” Expect some shifting in Final figures for the key demo race.
All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.