Fast National ratings for Monday, October 24, 2011.
FOX got another night of solid ratings for the World Series, but the Rangers and Cardinals were no match for ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” overall.
Meanwhile, has the tumbling finally stopped for “Two and a Half Men”? The Ashton Kutcher-led CBS comedy was up this week after four straight weeks of steep declines following its record-breaking premiere, leading the network to an easy win among young viewers.
[Yes, CBS aired Monday Night Football in the Baltimore market, so we’ll see how much of a difference that made when final figures are released.]
On to the numbers…
Among adults 18-49, CBS averaged a 4.2 rating, tops in the key demographic. FOX was second with a 3.8 rating, followed by the 2.9 rating for ABC. NBC was its usual fourth with a 1.2 rating, while The CW had an “up” night with a 0.7 rating.
Overall, though, ABC averaged an estimated 15.03 million viewers to go with a 9.8 rating/15 share. FOX’s 13.02 million and an 8.1/12 was second, followed by CBS’ 7.2/11 and 11.93 million viewers. NBC was well back with 3.61 million viewers and a 2.3/3, still beating the 1.2/2 and 1.67 million viewers for The CW.
[Univision averaged an estimated 3.13 million viewers for the night (not enough to beat NBC), but topped NBC with a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49.]
8 p.m. – ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” averaged 16.32 million viewers to win the 8 p.m. hour overall, but finished third with a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49. FOX’s World Series coverage averaged 12.595 million viewers and a 3.5 key demo rating for second in both. CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” (9.9 million viewers and a 4.3 key demo rating) and “2 Broke Girls” (11.47 million viewers and a 4.6 key demo rating) finished third overall and won the hour in the 18-49 demo. NBC’s “The Sing-Off” limped along with 4.45 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo rating, at least holding off The CW’s “Gossip Girl,” which averaged 1.37 million viewers and a 0.6 key demo rating.
9 p.m. – “Dancing with the Stars” remained in first overall for ABC rising to 17.66 million viewers and stayed with with a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49. CBS moved up to second overall and remained first in the demo with “Two and a Half Men” (15.49 million viewers and a 5.6 key demo rating) and “Mike & Molly” (12.7 million and a 4.4 key demo rating). [Those CBS numbers are obviously inflated slightly by football, though even if football devours the week-to-week growth for “Men,” it seems doubtful it will have declined this week at its previous rate.] FOX’s baseball was third overall with 12.63 million viewers and second in the key demo with a 3.7 rating. NBC’s “The Sing-Off” slipped to 3.87 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating in its second hour. The CW got growth from “Hart of Dixie,” which rose to 1.97 million viewers and a 0.8 key demo rating, hitting a slew of series highs.
10 p.m. – Airing out of FOX’s normal primetime window, the World Series averaged 13.84 million viewers and a 4.3 key demo rating. ABC’s “Castle” averaged 11.11 million viewers and a 2.5 key demo rating. CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” averaged 11.02 million viewers and a 3.3 key demo rating. NBC’s “Prime Suspect” repeat drew 2.5 million and a 0.7 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.