Fast National ratings for Friday, April 13, 2012.
CBS got solid overall viewership for the special “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert” and good young adult numbers from “Undercover Boss” for a pair of Friday night wins, while “Shark Tank” helped ABC grab a share of the key demo.
Meanwhile, it was another marginally down week for FOX’s “Fringe.” Recent negative fluctuations have been attributed (by fans and FOX spin doctors) to Good Friday and the release of “Hunger Games,” so presumably this tiny dip has “Cabin in the Woods” written all over it.
Among adults 18-49, CBS and ABC both averaged a 1.5 rating, tops in the key demographic. NBC averaged a 1.2 rating, beating the 0.9 rating for FOX. The CW’s repeats averaged a 0.3 key demo rating.
Overall, CBS had a bit more breathing room with 7.45 million viewers and a 4.8 rating/8 share, topping ABC’s 3.5/6 and 5.185 million viewers for Friday night. NBC was a close third with a 3.3/5 and 4.81 million viewers. FOX averaged a 2.0/3 and 3.13 million viewers in fourth, while The CW drew 941,000 viewers and a 0.6/1.
8 p.m. – “Undercover Boss” was down from recent airings, but still won the 8 p.m. hour for CBS with 6.99 million viewers and a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49. ABC was second with the 5.6 million viewers and 1.6 key demo rating for “Shark Tank.” NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” repeat averaged 4.73 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating. FOX’s new episode of “The Finder” averaged 3.37 million viewers and 0.9 key demo, both down from last week’s time period premiere for the presumably doomed drama. The CW’s “Nikita” repeat averaged 907,000 viewers and a 0.3 key demo rating.
9 p.m. – CBS won the 9 p.m. hour overall with the 7.14 million viewers for “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert,” but slipped to second with a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49. NBC’s “Grimm” had a strong week with 4.955 million viewers and an hour-winning 1.6 key demo rating. ABC’s “Primetime: What Would You Do?” averaged 4.76 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating. FOX’s “Fringe” was fourth with just under 2.9 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating, again dipping below the arbitrary thresholds of 3 million and the 1.0 key demo rating. The CW’s “Supernatural” averaged 974,000 viewers and a 0.4 key demo rating for a repeat.
10 p.m. – The second hour of “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert” was up to 8.22 million viewers for CBS and stayed second with a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “20/20” won the hour with a 1.6 key demo rating and finished second with 5.19 million viewers. NBC’s “Dateline” was third with 4.75 million viewers and a 1.1 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.